Rayani Air to face inquiry on May 12

KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has issued a three-month temporary suspension to Rayani Air, the nation’s first Syariah-compliant airline, starting today.

An inquiry into the airline’s shortfalls will be carried out on May 12, DCA Director-General Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said, adding that the Air Operators Certificate of the airline had been provisionally suspended, a first for any airline in the country.

“DCA will exercise its powers under sub-regulation 87 (1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1996 to provisionally suspend the airline’s Air Operators Certificate for three months pending an inquiry on May 12,” he told reporters at the sidelines of a press briefing held on the proposed hike of their fee.

“We cannot allow flights that we feel have contravened our regulations. They will not be allowed to fly. We have to do something about it,” he added.

He said DCA had advised Rayani Air on the issues involved, and since the airline was unable to fulfil its commitment, it had been rightfully suspended.

“Rayani is a new airline and is only temporarily suspended. It’s up to the airline to improve itself.”

Rayani Air stopped flying last week, after only 100 days in service — leaving passengers with disrupted travel plans and clueless over pre-booked tickets.

It is among the most short-lived airlines in the world after New Zealand’s Coastal Airways Ltd that survived 27 days in 1958 and Canada’s Roots Air flights that was suspended barely a month after services began.

Another Canadian airline, Greyhound Air, started operations in 1996, only to stop flying 14 months later.

Rayani Air’s founder, Ravi Alagendrran, said the airline had suspended operations following a “restructuring exercise.”

Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said airlines were only allowed to suspend or cease operations after obtaining the green light from the ministry or the DCA.

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