Malaysia airline grounded over safety concerns
Malaysia’s first Islamic-compliant airline, Rayani Air, has been grounded for breaching regulations.
The Department of Civil Aviation has revoked its licence because of concerns over its safety audit and administration, said the BBC, preventing it from operating as a commercial airline.
Rayani Air, which launched last December, was based on the island of Langkawi and flew to the capital Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bahru in the north.
The airline, which only offered halal food onboard and served no alcohol, also had plans to fly to Mecca for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
It has two Boeing 737s, eight pilots and 50 crew.
The airline’s services had previously been suspended for three months since it was accused of failing to follow flight regulations. It had been criticized for cancelling flights after pilots went on strike.
A safety audit was later conducted to assess its operations.
In a statement, Malaysia’s aviation commission said the airline had breached the conditions of its licence ‘and lacks the financial and management capacity to continue operating as a commercial airline’.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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