A new cycle of the Fear of Flying Course will take place on May 9, 2026, at Franjo Tuđman Airport, with this year’s edition bringing an important novelty. For the first time since the Zagreb course was launched, the programme will be held inside the passenger terminal of Zagreb Airport, giving participants an even more realistic and immediate experience of facing situations that cause them discomfort.
The course has been held in Zagreb since 2010, in cooperation with Zagreb Airport, and over the past 15 years several hundred participants have completed the programme. According to the organisers, 96 percent of participants have experienced a significant reduction of fear after the course, or have overcome it completely.
Fear of flying is one of the most common phobias and does not affect only those who have never flown before. It can also appear in passengers who had previously travelled by air without difficulty, and is most often linked to fear of losing control, fear of the unknown, or a lack of understanding of the flying process itself. According to research cited by the organisers, it is present in 64 percent of women and 34 percent of men.
The programme is designed as a specialised course combining psychological and aviation-related approaches. During the course, participants attend lectures by experts in psychology and aviation, learn about the basic processes of flying, and acquire practical relaxation techniques and methods for gradually confronting their fear. The goal of the programme is not only to inform participants, but also to help them better understand their own reactions in a safe environment, with expert guidance, and develop tools to overcome them.
Additional value is provided through cooperation with Croatia Airlines. As part of the programme, participants also take part in two flights on the Zagreb, Split, Zagreb route, placing the Zagreb course among the higher-quality programmes of this kind. It is precisely this combination of expert lectures, time spent in a real airport environment, and practical flight experience that makes it a unique specialised programme in the region.
The organisers point out that, through this programme, Franjo Tuđman Airport stands alongside major European airports such as London and Berlin, where similar courses have been conducted for more than 30 years. Holding the new cycle inside the passenger terminal further brings the programme closer to the real circumstances of air travel, from arriving at the airport to gradually becoming familiar with an environment that causes discomfort for many people.
The new Fear of Flying Course will take place on May 9, 2026, inside the passenger terminal of Franjo Tuđman Airport. The organisers invite all those who avoid air travel because of fear, or experience it with significant discomfort, to register and, with professional support, take the first step towards more relaxed flying.
