Nervous flyer? This is actually the safest seat on the plane according to experts

After years of disruptions as a result of the pandemic, international travelis back on many people's agenda. Whether it's a luxury trip to the Maldives to soak up the sun, or sailing in Sicily, Brits are keen to book themselves a getaway.

However, if you're a nervous flyer you're not alone. According to Stratos Jets, around between 33% and 40% of people experience anxiety when it comes to boarding a plane. 

While flying is deemed one of the safest modes of transport, if you're someone who experiences plane panic then new data about where to sit might set your mind at ease. 

Aviation expert Doug Drury wrote for CNN Travel that 'there is no real need to worry about safety when you board a commercial flight' as 'air travel is the safest mode of transport.'

But if you are interested in which seats are the safest, statistics show that the middle section of the back row is the best place to sit. 

A study published by TIME in 2015 researched which seats were considered the safest in data analysing aircraft accidents over 35 years, comparing accidents that had fatalities and survivors.

While the fatality percentage rate only differs marginally between the front, middle and back section of an aircraft, it found that the seats in the back third had a 32% fatality rate, compared to 39% in the middle, and 38% at the front. 

He explained: "Sitting next to an exit row will always provide you with the fastest exit in the case of an emergency, granted there’s no fire on that side.”

As the middle section is where fuel is stored in the wings, and the front is more likely to be impacted before those at the back, it leaves the back section of the plane as the 'safest'. 

Middle seats may also be preferable as opposed to aisle or window seats 'because of the buffer provided by having people on either side'.

For anyone who still feels a little nervous boarding a plane, phobia coach Paul Tizzard told the Mirror: "A flight checklist of every step of the flight from check-in to the other end, people find that helpful because it's very logical.

"Knowledge is power is the cliche. You can tick off the sounds that can be enough to get somebody to do a flight."