It could be a three-hour flight or ten, a low-cost route or a transatlantic trip. What is certain is that, the moment the wheels touch the runway, clapping can be heard in many aircraft cabins. Some look on awkwardly, others join in this habit. What is behind this little tradition in the air? A new survey by Wizz Air reveals that it is not just a spontaneous outburst of joy, but a purely cultural phenomenon.
Wizz Air asked over 4,500 passengers and 150 crew members from its network and mapped these habits. What he found was that in Georgia, 75% of travelers applaud immediately after landing, in Bulgaria, 70%, while in Hungary and Romania, the percentages are as high as 47–48%. In contrast, in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Serbia, less than three in ten adopt this habit.
But why are these differences found? 34% of passengers from Central and Eastern Europe say that this is a way to express joy for a safe and comfortable landing, in Western Europe, 28% consider clapping a tribute to the professionalism of the pilots, and one in five simply gets carried away by the crowd.
Age also plays a role, with 64% of 18–24 year olds clapping, with the percentages dropping slightly in older age groups (50% in 25–34, 54% in 35–44 and 57% in 45–64).
Despite the perception that clapping is on the wane, Wizz Air crews note that in Bulgaria, Romania, Albania and Italy it remains thriving.
As psychologists from the M?lyleveg? project explain, “the clapping after landing is a collective relief, a thank you and a moment of regaining control that was in someone else’s hands.”
