ISTANBUL – Turkish Airlines is offering classes to passengers to overcome their fear of flying or "aerophobia." In a two-day course, pilots and psychiatrists help participants with the aid of a flight simulator and therapy. On the second day of the course, participants are accompanied aboard a real plane.

Instructor Nail Özbayraktar said he and his colleagues teach passengers about the technical details of the flight. "People are afraid of things they don't know. So, we help them learn about the airplanes and flights," he said. Özbayraktar added that the most frequently asked question by participants were whether the plane would crash when the engine stopped or when the plane experienced turbulence.

Dr. Zekeriya Kökrek, a psychiatrist, said almost all passengers participating the classes successfully overcame their fear. "Courses to end aerophobia are common in many countries and Turkish Airlines offers it to its passengers as well. People are afraid of flying because of their misconceptions about flight. Our participants are mostly frequent flyers including businesspeople as well as families planning to fly to a vacation destination," he said.