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New Primara research suggests 8% of Australians suffer from severe flight phobia—that's 38 people on every full A380. Millennials are hit hardest at 12.3%, while Baby Boomers sit at just 4.6%. Women experience higher rates than men, and younger generations are fundamentally more anxious about air travel than their parents ever were.
New research reveals that 8% of Australians suffer from severe flight phobia, with younger generations bearing the brunt of aviation anxiety.
Millennials lead the fear factor, with one in eight (12.3%) admitting to severe flight phobia, the highest rate of any generation. This represents a 54% increase over the national average, revealing a generation that's fundamentally more anxious about air travel than their parents or grandparents.
- 8% of Australians have severe flight phobia
- 38 passengers on every fully booked A380 (485 seats) suffer severe anxiety
- 12.3% of Millennials have severe flight phobia (1 in 8)
- 54% higher than the national average for Millennials
- 9.1% of women vs 6.6% of men experience flight phobia
38 Anxious Passengers on Every A380
On a fully booked A380 with 485 seats, an average of 38 passengers are battling severe flight phobia, white-knuckling their way through the journey. For flights with younger demographics, that number climbs even higher, with potentially 60 Millennial passengers experiencing debilitating anxiety.
Alan Lau, 33, says his flight phobia makes every trip an ordeal. "I still fly for work and family, but I'm anxious for days before. During the flight, every sound makes me grip the armrests. Even though I make it through, the fear just comes back the next time I have to fly.”
The generational divide is stark. Gen Z follows at 10.1%, while Gen X drops to 7.0% and Baby Boomers sit at just 4.6%. Older generations, who came of age during aviation's golden era, show significantly less concern about flying.
Jess Gallagher, 26, says she dreads booking flights despite flying regularly. "I know statistically it's safe, but that doesn't stop the panic. Take-off and landing are the worst. I'm that passenger who's visibly tense the entire flight, counting down the minutes until we land."
Women experience flight phobia at significantly higher rates (9.1%) compared to men (6.6%), with the gender gap most pronounced among younger travellers.
The research classified flight phobia as "severe" when passengers felt their anxiety was bad enough that they needed to take something just to get through the flight
Aviation is about to confront an uncomfortable truth: millions of passengers are enduring flights rather than enjoying them, and the anxiety gap is widening with each generation. Airlines now face a choice between acknowledging this silent epidemic and offering genuine support, or continuing to pretend everyone boarding their aircraft is calm, rational and ready to fly.
