The fear of flying, also known as aviophobia, has been extensively studied for more than 30 years. This is why Pereg believes that most airlines and pilots do not really understand the magnitude of the fear of flying that passengers experience. “In the last nine years, I have seen, I think, thousands of people [experiencing this fear],” Pereg said. Pereg pointed out that the first step in tackling a fear of flying is for travelers to understand and accept their fear. While this could one day make flying technically safer, he warns it might also take the fear of flying “to an extreme” level.