Breakdown of Me alivia que el aterrizaje haya sido tan rápido.
ser
to be
rápido
fast
que
that / than
me
to me / me (direct object)
Questions & Answers about Me alivia que el aterrizaje haya sido tan rápido.
Why do we use the subjunctive (haya sido) here instead of the indicative (ha sido)?
The phrase me alivia que expresses an emotion, which triggers the subjunctive in the following clause. We use the present perfect subjunctive (haya sido) because the landing is already completed, but its emotional impact is tied to the present moment.
Could I use the past subjunctive (fuera) instead of haya sido?
Why do we use sido (from ser) instead of estado (from estar) when describing a quick action like a landing?
In Spanish, when an event takes place or is being evaluated (like a landing, a concert, or a meeting), we use ser. Because you are describing the nature of the event itself, haya sido is the correct choice over haya estado.
Is "me" a reflexive pronoun here?
No, me is an indirect object pronoun. The verb aliviar is acting like the verb gustar here. The actual subject of the sentence is the whole clause about the landing: literally, "that the landing has been so quick relieves me."