In its mere 5 months of service, the airline encountered a range of issues: from handwritten boarding passes to pilot strikes.
Airlines are incredibly costly to run, and industrial barriers often make it difficult for new operators to enter (and ultimately remain in) the market. It typically takes years of planning and certification before an airline can take off. This is the story of one that was in business for just five months, with a slew of issues from safety and security concerns to pilot strikes.
Rayani Air was the world’s fourth airline founded upon Sharia (Islamic) laws and the first of its kind in Malaysia. As an Islamic airline, no pork or alcohol was served on board. Prayers were recited before each flight by both crew members and passengers, and all Muslim female flight attendants were clad in hijab.
Considering that Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country – 63.5 per cent of the population is said to practice the Islamic faith – the introduction of Rayani Air seemed to be a sure success, in principle. Unfortunately, the airline’s instability was imminent right from the beginning.
Unlike other Sharia-compliant airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Saudia, and Iran Air, which are all successful flag carriers, Rayani Air only managed to stay in business for under half a year.
Founded Ravi Alagendrran and his wife Karthiyani Govindan (the airline’s name is said to be a combination of both first names), Rayani Air’s inaugural flight was scheduled in August 2014. However, its base was changed from Malacca International Airport to Langkawi International Airport, a resort island where there would be more opportunities to attract tourists.
The change delayed the airline’s launch date by more than a year. On December 20, 2015, Rayani Air took off for the first time. The airline’s fleet consisted of two Boeing 737s that were flying domestically between its Langkawi base to four destinations, including the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bahru, a north-eastern city with a 93 per cent Muslim population.
Despite its short stint as a commercial airline, there were ambitious plans to grow Rayani Air. The airline had six 737s and two 777s on order and were planning to grow its destination network to include more domestic locations and, eventually, scheduled flights to Mecca for the Hajj, a sacred Islamic pilgrimage.
Rayani Air was also reported to have set its sights on cooperation with Royal Brunei Airlines in hopes of strengthening the concept of Sharia-compliant airlines in the industry. This never came to fruition.
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Barely two months in, Rayani Air flight RN180 bound to Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2), was canceled due to a broken cockpit windshield. A string of issues and complaints soon followed. Pilots reportedly refused to fly because of the poor conditions of the aircraft, and passengers complained that their flights were frequently rescheduled or canceled, often without advance notice nor compensation.
The airline was also criticized for using handwritten boarding passes, which posed a threat to aviation security – and an investigation into Rayani Air’s practices was launched. On April 6, 2016, the founders announced that they would be temporarily suspending all operations, citing ‘restructuring exercises’. Just five days later, the airline was officially suspended for three months by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, following investigation findings.
By June 14, 2016, Rayani Air permanently lost its license to operate. The Malaysian Aviation Commission stated:
“[Rayani Air] had breached the conditions of its Air Service Licence (ASL) and lacks the financial and management capacity to continue operating as a commercial airline."
Writer – Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in aviation management and has worked in the CEO’s office of a major flag carrier. She has written about healthcare, lifestyle, and travel but says that “aviation trumps all else”. Based in Australia