Transport minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, said the airline had been given numerous warnings by his ministry and the DCA. As a result, a provisional suspension notice was served to the airline on Monday, April 11.
Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has suspended Rayani Air, Malaysia’s only sharia-compliant airline, claiming it has contravened conditions of its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) and is unable to meet aviation requirements.
Transport minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, said the airline had been given numerous warnings by his ministry and the DCA.
As a result, a provisional suspension notice was served to the airline on Monday, April 11.
The airline, which launched its maiden flight in December last year, has faced complaints of flight delays and cancellations with no replacement aircraft provided.
The transport ministry investigated Rayani Air after it issued handwritten boarding passes to passengers on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching last month.
On April 9 the airline announced it was suspending its operations immediately as part of its “restructuring plan”. This followed a strike by its pilots the previous day that forced the airline to cancel several flights.
Transport minister Liow said, “Rayani could not suspend itself, the DCA will suspend it.”
DCA will do a full audit on Rayani Air, and the airline will be given a chance to explain its performance.
Rayani Air founder and chief executive Ravi Alagendrran has apologised publicly to customers on Facebook. “Rayani Air is a new airline in this country. There are a lot of things we have to learn and improve on,” he said.
He also thanked the airline staff and pledged that “Rayani Air will return”, and called on Malaysians to continue to support it.
UPDATED NEWS: The Department of Civil Aviation has suspended the operations of Rayani Air for three months.
DCA’s director general Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said an inquiry into the airline’s shortcomings would be carried out on May 12, adding that its suspension was the first of its kind in Malaysia’s aviation history.