The heartbreaking loss of Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick is an example of an extremely rare event: a large jet crashing on an intercontinental air route. Many prospective travellers will see the images of the tragedy in India, and three other passenger jet crashes in the past six months, and conclude that aviation is becoming more dangerous. Yet without diminishing these disasters and the devastating human toll, this remains the safest decade in aviation history. Watch