A recent survey commissioned by All Nippon Airways for the U.S. market found that 72 percent of U.S. airline passengers experience some level of pre-flight anxiety. The survey also revealed that 68 percent of respondents identify takeoff as the most stressful part of the journey.
To help passengers manage that stress, ANA developed a new app called ANA Takeoff Mode that focuses on easing nerves during takeoff. The app leverages the FAA’s updated guidance permitting the use of certain electronic devices during takeoff and landing, letting users engage with calming content at a time when anxiety often peaks.
Offered free through the App Store, ANA Takeoff Mode is a simple, absorbing puzzle game. Players guide a ball across the screen to collect points while soothing background music plays. The app’s distinguishing feature is its ability to monitor the aircraft cabin’s ambient audio profile — measuring amplitude and frequency — and respond when the audio signature matches the high-throttle sound of engines during takeoff. When that happens, the app displays a tailored animation and on-screen message designed to reassure and distract the user.
By combining gentle gameplay, calming audio, and real-time responsiveness to cabin noise, ANA Takeoff Mode aims to provide a discreet, effective tool for nervous flyers. It is among the first smartphone apps to use the flexibility enabled by the FAA’s October 2013 announcement allowing certain portable electronic devices to be used throughout all phases of flight.