Fighting flight fright

Anxious passengers are being helped by a course to overcome their fear of flying

British Airways has been helping those in the UAE conquer their fear of flying. Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

Considering that the first commercial flight was just 102 years ago, jets have become a nearly unavoidable mode of travel. But as we reported yesterday, for the unfortunate few who suffer from a fear of flying this new world of affordable and fast international travel is a nightmare.

Few are as bad as Joe Thompson, the then-11-year-old Al Ain schoolboy whose fear of flying left him stuck in the UAE for 15 months. He eventually made it home to the UK in October 2013 after undergoing hypnosis to control his anxiety.

Most of the graduates of the fifth edition of the Flying with Confidence course, run by British Airways in Dubai on Saturday, have less debilitating problems and have been helped by a combination of education about the real risks and through stress-reduction techniques such as regulated breathing. Their graduation includes a short flight, accompanied by one of their instructors, when we hope the worst thing that happens is suffering from boredom.