Travis Barker, 45, is giving all the credit in the world to his girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian, 42, when it comes to his courageous decision to start flying on planes again. The Blink-182 drummer told NYLON magazine in an interview published Wednesday (Sept. 8) that Kourtney inspired him to face his fears of flying, which stem from surviving a 2008 plane crash that left four people dead and Travis with third-degree burns on his body, when the couple jetted off to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for a romantic getaway last month.
“It’s still something very new to me, but having something that gives me the strength and hope to be able to overcome things that were so traumatic in my life, it just says a ton,” Travis told the publication. “She’s definitely that for me,” the rocker added of the POOSH founder. “I’m invincible when I’m with her. It’s like I never dreamed, I never even considered flying again.”
Travis also told Nylon that prior to the Cabo trip, he agreed to travel with Kourtney, but only as long as she gave him a heads up the day prior. “I made a deal with her that she had just said to me, ‘I would love to do so much traveling with you. I want to go to Italy with you. I want to go to Cabo with you. I want to go to Paris with you. I want to go to Bora Bora with you.’ And I said, ‘Well, when the day comes you want to fly, I’m telling you I’ll do it with you. I would do anything with you. And just give me 24 hours’ notice,’ ” Travis explained. “And that’s what she did.”
The journey to Cabo on Aug. 14 was a major milestone for Travis, and as he explained to Nylon, the two-hour flight actually ended up being “the easiest ever” for him. The musician did confirm that he prepared for the trip by doing some breathing exercises with a friend, but once he arrived in Mexico, enjoyed a scenic stay with his girlfriend, and then flew home, he felt “awesome.” And it’s all because of Kourtney!
Until he went away with Kourtney, Travis had vowed he would never fly again following the 2008 plane crash he was in. He and DJ AM, who died from an overdose in 2009, were the only two survivors of the accident, which happened after a tire burst on the runway at Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina. They were intending to fly to Van Nuys, CA after one of their TRV$DJAM band shows when the pilots attempted to abort the flight in the middle of takeoff, causing the plane to crash through the airport fence, cross South Carolina Highway 302, and stop in an embankment, bursting into flames.
But now, Travis feels safe to fly again. In fact, the singer and Kourtney hopped on another flight following their Cabo vacation to continue their summer travels to Italy. While there, the happy couple, who have been dating since early 2021, went for a swim in San Fruttuoso and stepped out for the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Venice.