Aviation Expert Uses Social Media to Alleviate Fear of Flying

An aviation expert is helping people overcome their fear of flying through TikTok videos and flight simulator sessions. Salim Hijazeen, an associate lecturer in aviation at Swinburne University in Melbourne, has amassed more than 36,000 followers on the platform where he addresses common concerns about aviation safety.

“Flying is statistically one of the safest forms of transport,” Hijazeen states, a perspective supported by safety data and other experts.

Key Safety Information

To reassure nervous passengers, Hijazeen provides several key facts:

• At any given time, there are typically between 13,000 and 15,000 aircraft in the air worldwide.
• Aircraft are designed to handle substantial turbulence far beyond what passengers typically experience.
• Pilots maintain constant communication with air traffic controllers and conduct thorough pre-flight inspections.
• Modern aircraft in Australia are equipped with advanced automation and protection systems to maintain normal performance.
• Pilots regularly practice emergency scenarios in sophisticated simulators.

Expert Perspectives on Risk

The extremely low risk of air travel is underscored by other aviation professionals.

Philip Mann, a former United States Federal Aviation Administration staffer, states the risk of dying on a commercial flight is extraordinarily low. He illustrates this by saying a passenger would need to fly daily for more than 103,000 years to statistically experience a fatal accident.

For comparison, the national road fatality rate in Australia for the 12 months to January 2026 was 4.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

Current Context and Practical Advice

Questions about flight safety have been prominent recently due to Middle East conflicts disrupting some flight paths and increased scrutiny of aircraft manufacturer Boeing following an Air India Dreamliner crash in June.

For those feeling anxious during a flight, Hijazeen offers a simple, practical tip:

He suggests nervous flyers observe the cabin crew’s behavior during turbulence, as their calm demeanor is a strong indicator that the situation is a normal part of operations.