Aviophobia
Fear of flying is a fear of air travel. It is also sometimes referred to as aviatophobia or aviophobia.
Causes
The fear of flying may be created by various factors
a fear of closed in spaces (claustrophobia), such as that of an aircraft cabin
a fear of heights (acrophobia)
a feeling of not being in control
a fear of crowds (agoraphobia)
previous traumatizing experiences while in flight (or having lost friends, co-workers, etc. to a plane crash)
fear of hijacking or terrorism
fear of turbulence
fear of having a panic attack
fear of flying over water or night flying
fear of death/dying
Some people blame the media as a major factor behind fear of flying, claiming the media sensationalizes airline crashes (and the high casualty rate per incident), in comparison to the perceived scant attention given the massive number of isolated automobile crashes.