For most people, boarding a flight is routine.
For Asha V P, it was a barrier that defined her life for more than two decades.
This New Year, the Indian expatriate finally returned to her hometown of Thiruvananthapuram, ending a 25-year separation caused not by distance, but by fear.
Asha, a homemaker who has lived in Bahrain since the early 2000s, has long suffered from aerophobia, an extreme fear of flying. Her return in January 2026 marks the end of a prolonged personal struggle and highlights how psychological barriers can be as powerful as physical ones.
How a Single Event Changed Everything
Asha’s fear did not begin overnight.
Like many travellers, she experienced mild anxiety during flights, especially during take-off and landing. However, her condition worsened dramatically after learning about the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision in India, one of the deadliest aviation disasters in history.
The crash, which killed 349 people, became a turning point. From that moment, flying was no longer just uncomfortable. It became terrifying.
Mental health experts describe this as “trauma by proxy,” where exposure to catastrophic events through news or stories creates a lasting fear response, even without direct personal involvement.
Life in the Gulf Without Flying
In 2002, Asha’s family moved from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain. Instead of flying, the family travelled by road to avoid triggering her fear. That decision set a pattern that lasted for decades.
Over the years:
- Asha avoided all flights
- She often reached the airport but turned back at the last moment
- Counselling and therapy brought little relief
- Family visits to India became impossible
While her husband and children travelled occasionally, Asha remained behind. Over time, missed weddings, funerals, and festivals added emotional strain to the psychological burden.
A Widespread but Hidden Condition
Asha’s experience is not as rare as it may seem.
Studies suggest that up to 40 percent of people worldwide experience some level of flight anxiety. For a smaller group, this fear becomes severe enough to disrupt daily life, careers, and family relationships.
Aviation safety data tells a different story. Global air travel has become significantly safer over the past three decades, with accident and fatality rates falling sharply despite record passenger numbers. Yet for those with aerophobia, emotional perception often outweighs statistical reality.
This gap between real risk and perceived risk explains why fear of flying can persist for years, even in the face of reassurance.
The Turning Point
By late 2025, Asha reached a personal breaking point.
Years of avoidance had turned into despair. With support from family and renewed determination, she decided to confront her fear one final time. Details of her preparation remain private, but experts note that gradual exposure, breathing techniques, and strong emotional motivation often play a key role in such breakthroughs.
In late December, she boarded a flight from Bahrain to Kerala.
It was her first flight in 25 years.
A New Year, A New Chapter
Asha welcomed 2026 on home soil, surrounded by family she had not seen in decades. She plans to spend several weeks in Kerala reconnecting with loved ones and rebuilding bonds that time and fear had stretched thin.
Her journey is not just a personal victory. It is a reminder that mental health challenges can quietly shape lives for years, especially within expatriate communities where distance from home is already emotionally taxing.
Why This Story Matters
Asha’s return highlights three broader realities:
- Psychological fears can be as restrictive as physical barriers
- Aviation safety has improved dramatically, but fear does not always follow data
- With support, persistence, and the right timing, even long-standing phobias can be overcome
For many expatriates living far from home, her story offers something rare.
Hope.
