Assessing fear of flying after a plane crash. The “Rainman” effect e Myth or reality?

Abstract

This paper analyses the effects that the largest aviation accident in Spain in the last 25 years affected decisions by potential passengers. There evidence is of a long-lasting “Rainman effect”, with passengers penalising the airline involved with a 20% long-term reduction in traffic. There were also substitution effects towards other means of transport at Madrid-Barajas, where the accident happened, although these were limited in time. There have been no significant effects on other companies or on the total traffic at the aeroplane’s destination airport, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), where there are no comparable substitutes for air transport.