Air India's recent plane crash, resulting in at least 271 deaths, is being addressed by Chairman N. Chandrasekaran as a critical turning point for improving airline safety. During a town hall, he emphasized perseverance amid criticism.

The deadly crash of an Air India flight carrying more than 240 people on Thursday arrives after years of efforts to turn around the country’s flag carrier — which had been plagued by tragedy and financial losses under prior state ownership.

"Air India has been slated for scruffy, poorly maintained cabin interiors and sketchy service at times - however in the world of aviation this does not necessarily translate as poorly maintained functionality of aircraft and their airworthiness, all of which will undergo significant technical checks before deployed into the air.

The flight data recorder from the crashed Air India flight was recovered Friday in what likely will lead to clues about the cause of the accident that killed 241 people on the plane and a number of others on the ground.