Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for clients with a fear of flying is widely accepted as the most effective psychological treatment for this problem. Evidence from published research, however, suggests that this treatment approach is typically applied inflexibly to most clients who seek treatment. The authors conservatively estimate from their own practice that approximately 50 per cent of clients who seek psychological treatment for a fear of flying do not require the full complement of standard CBT interventions (e.g. desensitisation, simulated or actual flights) and benefit sufficiently from core interventions (e.g. cognitive re-structuring, realistic threat appraisal and coping strategies for dealing with symptoms of anxiety and panic disorder). This paper outlines a brief approach to psychological treatment that may benefit a sizeable proportion of fearful flyers, and that is not unduly costly or demanding on resources, and can be offered in busy settings such as travel health clinics and GP surgeries, and by counselling psychologists and air crew.