Roughly 25 million adults in the U.S. have a fear of flying, known as aerophobia, say experts at the Cleveland Clinic.
Alex Peric, Chief Operating Officer at the Ford Airport in Grand Rapids says steps are being taken to address flying fears. It recently opened a sensory room.
“It’s a quiet space to give to the passengers an area to decompress if they’re feeling nervous. They can get into that space and prepare themselves to get on an aircraft.”
There are yoga classes and therapy dog teams working the terminal.
“Do you want to pet Poohtine?”
“We’re just here to say 'hi' to folks or calm nerves or sit with people who just don’t like flying.”
Nathan McCormick is a handler with West Michigan Therapy Dogs, an all-volunteer group that trains pets working in public places like hospitals, schools and airports.
“You just let the dog and the person chart the path they want to chart and sometimes we only spend a couple minutes with a person and other times Poohtine and I spend 30 minutes.”
Travelers can call ahead to schedule a therapy dog.
Peric also recommends reaching out to the airline or the Federal Aviation Administration for safety information, explaining facts can calm fears, too.
