Though no recent studies have examined whether rates of aviophobia have increased this year, Posen says incidents like the Air Europa emergency landing tend to trigger an increase in patient referrals.

The news has terrified me. What should I do?

Turbulence is one of the most commonly feared aspects of flying, Ackland says, so it’s understandable that recent news stories have triggered increased anxiety for some.

“It’s rarely reported that turbulence does not pose a risk to [passenger safety], or even if it is, it’s often an element of the story which is overlooked by anxious fliers who tend to maximise aspects of threat and minimise aspects of safety,” she says.

The best way to combat this is to educate yourself about aviation, says Todd Lane, a University of Melbourne professor who specialises in aviation meteorology and turbulence.

“Air travel is among the safest forms of transport and is much safer than travelling in a car,” Lane says. “Turbulence events where multiple passengers are injured are rare, and only occur a handful of times per year globally.”

Turbulence occurs when an aircraft passes through regions where the wind is moving chaotically, including upwards and downwards, Lane explains. This causes small changes in flight altitude, which passengers may feel as bumps.

“Methods to avoid turbulence have improved dramatically over the last few decades,” Lane says. “This includes improved weather forecasts of turbulence and better observations of storms.”

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What can I do before, and during, my flight?

Ackland says visiting the airport, or plane watching, before a flight can help ease your worries. For more intensive preparation, there are fear of flying courses, in which pilots teach people about flying safety and turbulence.

“Being prepared and leaving sufficient time removes extra stress and time pressure from the existing anxiety,” Ackland says. “Try not to avoid the idea of flying, but rather make sure that thoughts of flying are helpful and accurate, rather than catastrophic and unrealistic.”

While in the air, Posen suggests using positive self-talk, which can distance yourself from a stressful situation. He also suggests listening to music with a good beat while lightly bouncing in your chair.

“What you’re doing is separating your movements from what the plane is doing. Let the plane do what it has been designed to do, which is manage itself in turbulence. If you grip your seat every time the plane goes through turbulence, you’re reactive, which means your sense of loss of control is accentuated. You want to remain independent of the plane.”

The most important strategy, however, is to wear your seatbelt. “More than 97 per cent of turbulence-related injuries are people who aren’t wearing their seatbelt,” Lane says. “This means that a well-secured seatbelt is highly effective at preventing injuries.”

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