U.S. travelers are more hesitant about flying following a string of aviation mishaps.
In a recent poll, commissioned by The Points Guy and conducted by The Harris Poll, 65% of Americans said they're more nervous about flying because of recent incidents. One in four said they're much more nervous about flying now.
The survey polled people between Feb. 28 and March 4, after several notable aviation incidents, including the tragic and deadly collision of an American Airlines plane with a military helicopter over the Potomac River, a Delta Air Lines plane that crash landed and flipped over in Toronto, and a near miss involving a Southwest Airlines jet in Chicago.
The incidents have caused some to rethink their travel plans. According to the poll, 36% of Americans say their fear of flying has led them to change their travel plans.
In February, Ellie Finley was among those who pivoted plans.
"I was planning to fly to Arkansas to visit my aunt, but we collectively decided to postpone the trip based on the uncertainty going on," Finley told Scripps News Group San Diego.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told investors this week that the incidents are a factor in fewer ticket sales.
"Consumer confidence certainly in air travel started to wane a little bit as questions of safety came in," Bastian said.
But Transportation Security Administration screening numbers from the first half of March are on par with where they were a year ago, and the agency is expecting to screen more than 50 million travelers during its spring break travel period, up more than 5% from last year.
Rebecca Geise was still planning on flying out of Denver International Airport on Friday, one day after passengers had to evacuate an American Airlines flight when its engine caught fire on the runway.
"I just think that it's always scary to fly to some degree," Geise said. "But I'm not any more scared than I was yesterday."
According to The Points Guy and The Harris Poll, 72% of Americans think airline travel is safe. Aviation experts say that's the case, too.
"I don't think the system's unsafe at all," former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told Scripps News in January. "I think it's by far the safest system to move people."
In fact, there have been fewer aviation accidents this year compared to the same period last year, and experts say the recent mishaps will only increase safety as the Federal Aviation Administration continues to investigate the incidents and make changes to improve safety.
