One of the strongest pieces of evidence under review is a CCTV clip that shows the takeoff and the crash of the plane.

India’s oldest airline was facing challenges even before Thursday, when a Boeing jet it operated crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday and killed more than 240 people on board. Air India hasn’t suffered crashes in its recent past, but it has been working to overcome a legacy of unprofitability and a reputation for shoddy service.

Sabharwal and his co-pilot, Clive Kundar—who had 1,100 hours of flying experience—sent out a frantic mayday call, warning the flight was "losing power."

The crash, which has been termed one of the worst air disasters in recent Indian history, also killed several people on the ground. READ ALSO: Raveena Tandon's daughter Rasha Thadani REACTS to comparisons with Janhvi Kapoor,

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said Rs one crore will be provided to the families of deceased in the air crash, while Air India's MD & CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline is working with authorities on emergency response efforts.

Viewers flocked to Indian news channels Aaj Tak and NDTV 24x7 on Thursday, after news emerged about an Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad airport.