BRITON OFFERS TIPS ON OVERCOMING FEAR OF FLYING

THE RECENT CRASH OF TWA FLIGHT 800 WILL ADD TO THE MORE THAN $1 BILLION IN REVENUE THAT THE U.S. AIRLINE INDUSTRY LOSES ANNUALLY DUE TO AEROPHOBIA, OR FEAR OF FLYING, SAID FARROL S. KAHN, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED KINGDOM-BASED AVIATION HEALTH INSTITUTE, IN AN INTERVIEW BY FAX WITH GLOBALFAX LAST MONTH.

MR. KAHN VISITED ATLANTA EARLIER THIS YEAR TO PROMOTE HIS NEW BOOK, ARRIVE IN BETTER SHAPE, WHICH ADVISES TRAVELERS HOW TO HANDLE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRESS OF AIR TRAVEL.

THE AVIATION HEALTH INSTITUTE, UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF COMPANIES SUCH AS SMITHKLINE BEECHAM, BRITISH PETROLEUM AND GLAXOWELLCOME, WAS LAUNCHED ON MAY 15 TO STUDY THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF FLYING, FIND WAYS TO LESSEN THE STRESS OF AIR TRAVEL AND RESEARCH METHODS OF TREATING AEROPHOBIA, SAID MR. KAHN.

“LIKE OTHER CRASHES, THIS ONE WILL RESULT IN LOST TICKET SALES GLOBALLY AND PARTICULARLY IN THE U.S.  THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS IS THAT AIRLINE CRASHES TEND TO RECEIVE ABOUT 15 TIMES MORE COVERAGE THAN OTHER DISASTERS.  IT WILL CERTAINLY EXACERBATE THE FEELINGS OF AEROPHOBICS AND PUT SOME PEOPLE OFF FLYING ALTOGETHER,” HE SAID.

ALTHOUGH SOME AIRLINES, SUCH AS LUFTHANSA, SWISSAIR AND KLM OFFER FLYING SEMINARS TO HELP PASSENGERS AFFLICTED WITH AEROPHOBIA, MR. KAHN SAYS IN HIS BOOK, THESE TREATMENTS ARE NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS THEY MIGHT BE BECAUSE THEY ARE TIME-CONSUMING AND GEARED TO DEAL WITH SMALL NUMBERS OF PEOPLE.  LUFTHANSA HAS HELPED ONLY 4,000 PEOPLE SINCE 1981, HE ADDS.

“THE AVIATION INDUSTRY IS LOSING NEARLY 10% OF ITS REVENUE A YEAR TO AEROPHOBIA,” SAID MR. KAHN, CITING A STUDY BY BOEING CO.  THE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN TRYING TO CUT COSTS TO RAISE REVENUES, HE ADDED, RATHER THAN LOOKING FOR A WAY TO CURE THE PROBLEM AND INCREASE SALES.

EVEN PASSENGERS WHO DON’T SUFFER FROM AEROPHOBIA CAN BE HURT BY THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF FLYING, ADDED MR. KAHN.  “BUSINESS TRAVELERS WHO CROSS THREE OR FOUR TIME ZONES ARE UNRELIEVEDLY FATIGUED, AND CAN TAKE UP TO THREE DAYS TO BE ABLE TO DO SIMPLE CALCULATIONS EASILY,” HE SAID.

JET LAG AND TRAVEL STRESS CAN BE ALLEVIATED BY MEASURES SUCH AS BREAKING LONG FLIGHTS UP WITH STOPOVERS RATHER THAN TAKING NON-STOP FLIGHTS, DRINKING CARROT JUICE BEFORE FLYING TO RAISE YOUR CELLULAR OXYGEN LEVEL, AND EXERCISING BEFORE BOARDING AND WHILE IN THE AIR, SAID MR. KAHN.

ARRIVE IN BETTER SHAPE IS PUBLISHED BY HARPERPAPERBACKS, A DIVISION OF HARPERCOLLINSPUBLISHERS .  FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOOK, CALL NICKI BRITTON AT HARPER AT (212) 207-7066:  MR. KAHN AT 011-01865-739-681.