Why Travis Barker Stopped Flying on Planes in Middle of Blink-182 Tour

Travis Barker‘s return to flying after a near-death 2008 plane crash was a big step for the Blink-182 drummer, but the musician revealed in a new Wall Street Journal interview that even though he’s flown for tours of late flying still remains a challenge.

For years, Barker avoided flying after being involved in the 2008 incident that killed both pilots, his security guard and his personal assistant. His tourmate DJ AM initially survived the crash, but died of drug overdose a year after the crash.

In August 2021, Barker finally returned to the skies with some encouragement from his now wife Kourtney Kardashian. The couple boarded a private jet in Camarillo, California and flew to Cabo San Lucas on vacation. Barker had previously voiced his desire to return to flying and credited Kardashian with helping him with a plan to do so.

Travis Barker’s Current Concerns on Flying

During the Wall Street Journal interview, Barker was asked about previously flying on the band’s tour of Australia earlier this year. During the chat, he revealed that while he initially was fine taking part in flights, of late he’s had some issues come up after being “triggered” upon reading about another recent plane crash in the news.

He told the interviewer, “I was good for a while. But that Brazilian plane crash had me spiraling when I was in Europe. God bless all those people’s souls.”

The incident he’s referring to was a passenger plane carrying 62 people that crashed near the Sao Paulo airport in Brazil back in early August.

The drummer continued, “I was affected more than I’ve been in a long time, and it led to me having one of the realest flashback nightmares I’ve had since my accident, and I couldn’t fly the rest of the tour.”

According to Barker, “I did 15 19-hour bus rides, I did ferries. I just had to fly to Europe and back. But I’m not in a great state to fly right now and I’m busing the rest of the year. I have my good times and my bad times, and right now I’m really triggered.”

READ MORE: 10 Unforgettable Blink-182 Moments

At present, Barker is stateside with Blink-182 appearances coming up at the Oceans Calling festival in Ocean City, Maryland this Friday (Sept. 27) and the South Star Music Festival in Huntsville, Alabama this Sunday (Sept. 29). The band also headlines two weekends of the Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, Texas Oct. 4 and 11 and will play Nov. 9 at Foro Sol in Mexico City before the year concludes. Ticketing info can be found through the Blink-182 website.