Hi there, JFC-ers,

It would be remiss of me not to start off by addressing the tragic news of yesterday's Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which will no doubt have reached you all already.

Having flown with Air India to Vietnam earlier this year, it certainly hits a little close to home for me. As well as feeling for all the families and friends of those onboard and on the ground, I am also feeling for the crew at Air India right now. 

Before this incident, the airline already had a fairly ropey reputation as a result of an ageing fleet and poor timekeeping. However, I had an overall positive experience travelling with the airline and its attentive and caring staff, who went out of their way to make us all comfortable.

To say that it will be hard for Air India to recover is an understatement — after all, Malaysia Airlines is only just getting back on top 11 years down the line. Of course, the disaster may signal further trouble for Boeing, too, which has been struggling to maintain airline relationships following recent safety concerns.

But until the black boxes reveal for sure what caused AI171 to crash, it's all speculation. For now, our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragedy. 

Safe travels,