The return of a Virgin Atlantic flight to Gatwick after a landing gear problem was identified underlines what has been a traumatic time for air travellers around the world.
The search for Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 continues with experts confident the plane is at the bottom of the Java Sea, with locator beacons unable to be heard because of the depth of the ocean.
The loss of the AirAsia plane would cap one of the deadliest years in civil aviation for nearly a decade - yet experts say the industry's underlying safety record is improving.
Even before the AirAsia Airbus A320-200 jet with 162 people on board went missing in bad weather, some 762 people had lost their lives in seven fatal accidents this year.
If the Indonesian-registered aircraft is confirmed to have crashed killing all on board, the accident will make 2014 the worst year for loss of life in civil aviation since 2005 when 1014 people were killed in passenger accidents, according to the Netherlands-based Aviation Safety Network.
But the number of fatal accidents in 2014 would stand at only eight, if Flight QZ8501 is included, compared with 24 in 2005.
This will be the lowest in memory, reflecting the peculiar nature of this year's disasters.
A combined total of 537 people were on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 which went missing on March 8 and has not been found, and Flight MH17 which was shot down over Ukraine on July 17.
While the AirAsia Group headquarters is in Malaysia, the AirAsia brand has become an umbrella for foreign airlines in which boss Tony Fernandes has a stake.
He bought 49% of the then AWAIR, an Indonesian low-cost carrier, in 2004, rebranding it as Indonesia AirAsia the following year.
Similar joint ventures have brought AirAsia into the Philippines, Thailand, Japan and most recently into India.
With large numbers of new planes on order, Mr Fernandes has spoken of AirAsia X linking Europe and Asia via low-cost long-haul in the years ahead, starting with a London route.
The air industry is changing, with low-cost airlines continuing to compete against the higher-charging but more service-oriented airlines.
Many of the larger airlines are themselves introducing budget services in an effort to maintain their market share.
Airlines and manufacturers contend aviation is the safest form of transport amid improvements in aircraft design, training and infrastructure.
The International Air Transport Association, which represents about 250 airlines, said earlier this month 2014 was among the safest when measured against the volume of traffic.
In 2009, according to the association, there was one ''hull loss'' for every 1.5 millon flights - which translates to 0.67 for every 1 million flights.
As at September 30, the 2014 jet hull loss rate stood at 0.22 per million flights.
There have been plenty of theories about the fate of the most high-profile air tragedies this year, including the latest AirAsia flight which could have been flying too slow when it met bad weather.
Speculation does not help those families left behind awaiting any news of their loved ones, clutching any sort of news.
The fact New Zealanders, on a holiday weekend, could catch up with the latest news on Flight QZ8501 through all sorts of media, shows how small the world can really be.
And for New Zealanders, who are used to boarding flights to travel the same world, nothing is likely to change their minds about flying.
At the same time as the search for the missing plane continued, a drama played out in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Greece, as passengers were rescued from a fire-damaged car ferry Norman Atlantic.
There is a risk to all things people do in life, and travelling is not excepted from the rule.
But despite the high number of lives lost in air accidents this year, the number of actual accidents is the lowest in memory.
As passengers prepare to step on to a plane for their work or holiday, they can take comfort in the sharply reduced number of accidents.
