In brief
- Alcohol is used by lots of people to cope with fear of flying
- Drinking alcohol provides a temporary increase in confidence but the additional pressures in flight (both physically and psychologically) can increase anxiety and stress
- If you want to be calm and confident, it’s better to fly with a clear head and enjoy a drink when you safely reach your destination
Why drinking alcohol on a flight can increase anxiety
When anxious flyers feel pre-flight tension building, some reach for a drink to take the edge off. Alcohol feels relaxing, it’s socially accepted, and it’s easy to find at most airports. While a beer or glass of wine might seem helpful in most cases it can actually make things worse.
In this guide, we explore the science and links between alcohol and anxiety and how drinking at altitude can affect your body.
Why people drink when they’re afraid to fly
For many travellers, airports and alcohol go hand in hand. For those with flight anxiety, alcohol can appear to be a socially acceptable way to soothe the nerves.
Alcohol has a rapid, but short-term, effect on the nervous system. It acts as a depressant, slowing down brain activity. This can produce feelings of relaxation and lower inhibitions, but these feelings are temporary.
Drinking alcohol also offers a sense of control. You’re making a choice to drink and manage the fear.
Unfortunately, the calming effects of alcohol are short-lived, especially at altitude. Even worse, the after-effects can make anxiety, discomfort, and panic worse once the plane takes off.
Before we look at the science, we need to know a little more about what causes fear of flying.
Understanding fear of flying
The causes of fear of flying are unique to each individual. Studies suggest that there’s rarely a single cause of aviophobia, but a blend of several fears. These can include a fear of heights, claustrophobia, loss of control, and turbulence.
Some people may also have a fear of having a panic attack in public, which can increase anxiety.
While most anxious flyers understand that air travel is statistically one of the safest forms of transport, this doesn’t help.
It’s not about logic and intelligence, but how the brain processes perceived risk.
When you’re anxious, your body triggers the fight-or-flight response, releasing adrenaline, increasing heart rate, and sharpening alertness. In the short-term, alcohol can dull this response.
Rapidly, you’ll find that alcohol interferes with this process in complex ways. Instead of soothing symptoms of anxiety it can increase them.
What alcohol actually does to your body at altitude
A small amount of alcohol in the airport lounge can feel pleasant and harmless. Once you’re in the air, your body reacts differently to alcohol, with even small amounts having a big impact. (Of course, we’re all different and the impact will vary for individuals.)
Aircraft cabins are pressurised to the equivalent of around 6,000–8,000 feet above sea level. This lower oxygen level (known as mild hypoxia) affects how your body metabolises alcohol. In practical terms, that means:
- You’ll feel the effects of alcohol more quickly. The same drink that makes you mellow on the ground may make you dizzy or disoriented at altitude.
- Dehydration hits harder. Aircraft cabins have very low humidity, often under 20%. While low humidity in a plane doesn’t cause dehydration, alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes you lose fluids faster, leading to headaches, fatigue, and worsened jet lag.
- Sleep quality drops. While alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it reduces REM sleep and causes fragmented rest, leaving you groggy and anxious when you wake.
Anxiety rebounds. As alcohol leaves the bloodstream, adrenaline and cortisol spike. This can cause what’s known as a “hangxiety” effect that can make in-flight nerves return even stronger.
During a 2024 study researchers found that drinking while flying had a negative impact on sleep quality. It also impacted the heart, too.
Drinking alcohol, in combination with the fear you might feel as a nervous flyer, can heighten physical sensations. This can cause a racing heart, sweating and shortness of breath.
We know that anxious flyers can often misinterpret as signs of danger, potentially putting them into a panic spiral.
Alcohol and anxiety: what the science says
While drinking may temporarily dampen anxious thoughts, research consistently shows that alcohol worsens long-term anxiety symptoms.
According to the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), alcohol can:
- Disrupt normal neurotransmitter function, especially serotonin and GABA, both critical for mood regulation.
- Exacerbate panic symptoms, especially as blood alcohol levels fall.
- Lead to “conditioned dependence,” where a person learns to associate alcohol with relief, reinforcing the habit even when it stops working.
As well as short term impacts, drinking alcohol to fly can lead to long-term problems.
The more someone drinks to manage flight anxiety, the more the brain learns to need alcohol to fly. This can create a feedback loop that makes future flights even harder
The paradox of alcohol and control
One of the most ironic aspects of fear of flying is that some people use alcohol to feel in control. However, the effects of alcohol actually reduces your ability to manage anxiety, especially in situations you may find stressful (like being in a plane).
Drinking alcohol blunts your body’s normal feedback mechanisms, affecting the pathways in your brain.
When something unexpected happens (like turbulence), you may react more emotionally because your system is already chemically imbalanced. For someone prone to panic, that discomfort can rapidly become a panic attack.
Turbulence is normal and harmless and likely to be a part of every flight. When your brain’s natural mechanisms are affected by alcohol, your brain can magnify those sensations.
If you’re drinking alcohol, that tiny bump could become a big problem.
So, does drinking help or make anxiety worse?
The evidence all shows that drinking alcohol while flying makes anxiety worse. In the short term, you might find your confidence increases, but when you hit cruising altitude it can rapidly wear off, causing your anxiety to increase and potentially spiking panic.
Instead of turning to a drink you calm your nerves, try some of the mindfulness, breathing, and grounding exercises you can find in our Help Desk. You should also download our free Calm Flight Toolkit which is packed full of practical advice to restore calm.
Before you go, remember your nerves are normal, your flight is safe, and there are better tools than alcohol for managing fear. Learning some tools and techniques to stay calm is a great start.
Please share this article with anyone who might benefit from it.
FAQs
It’s true that alcohol can take the edge off anxiety at first, but the effects are short-lived. While drinking alcohol can create a brief sense of relaxation, it temporarily masks the feelings of anxiety without tackling the underlying cause of flight anxiety. Unfortunately, drinking alcohol before flying can actually make anxious thoughts harder to manage.
Yes. Evidence shows that alcohol can increase anxiety symptoms. This is especially strong at altitude, where the effects of alcohol are stronger. Alcohol at altitude can increase heart rate and cause dehydration. You may find that alcohol can make anxiety triggers like turbulence feel more intense. Alcohol can also make it harder to regulate emotions, which can lead some people to panic, potentially becoming a panic attack.
Drinking alcohol is safe for adults in moderation. Enjoying a drink is how many of us relax and unwind. However, alcohol isn’t recommended as a coping strategy for flight anxiety. As well as providing temporary relief, some people may find that alcohol can interfere with techniques like breathing, grounding, and mindfulness, which can help to calm the nervous system without side effects. If you’re a nervous flyer, it’s best to avoid alcohol (at least until you land).