PETALING JAYA, April 10 — The nation’s first Shariah-compliant airline, Rayani Air, could face sanctions for suspending operations without permission from the Transport Ministry.

The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has also initiated an investigation into the company.

Rayani Air stopped flying yesterday — after only 110 days in service — leaving passengers with disrupted travel plans and clueless over pre-booked tickets.

It is now among the short-lived airlines in the world. In 1958, New Zealand’s Coastal Airways Ltd survived 27 days. Canada’s Roots Air flights were suspended barely a month after the service began.

Another Canadian airline, Greyhound Air, started operations in 1996 only to stop flying14 months later.

Its founder Ravi Alagendrran said the airline had suspended operations following a “restructuring exercise”.

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

“The airline must notify the government before suspending or ceasing operations. It cannot be done on their own volition.”

The airline allegedly has not paid wages to 485 of its staff. There were also claims the company’s two aircraft had “airframe issues”. The airframe is the aircraft’s mechanical structure that  includes its fuselage, wings and undercarriage. This, according to insiders, led to pilots refusing to fly.

“Rayani Air is being evaluated and DCA has asked them to reduce their sectors from 13 to eight.” Sectors are designated flight routes approved by DCA.

Aziz said this was the first time the ministry had faced such an issue and that action would be taken against the company.

“We have issued warnings to the airline following previous feedback from the public who complained of service disruptions.”

He declined to comment on the unpaid salaries, saying it was an “internal matter”. 

On allegations relating to the aircraft airframes, he said: “For any airline to operate, their aircraft will be evaluated and must be in good condition.”

“If there is any truth to the allegations, the ministry will take the necessary action. We will also look into the airline’s maintenance regime, among others.”

This is the second restructuring exercise by the company since it was founded on January 19, 2015.

The company had first changed its call sign from red to green and from a low-cost carrier to a full-service airline in the earlier exercise.

DCA director of flight operations Datuk Yahaya Abdul Rahman said Rayani Air would face action under Section 24 of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1996 if it had violated the terms of its Air Operators Certificate.

“For now, the airline will be suspended pending a DCA investigation into the various issues that have cropped up,” he said.

“If the findings of the probe reveal Rayani Air is not fit to operate, the airline’s operating licence will be revoked,” he added.

Ravi, when contacted earlier, claimed it was the ministry and DCA that had granted the airline’s request in suspending operations.

“This is part of our company’s restructuring plans. We apologise to all our passengers. 

“We will take this time to work out the operations and technical issues that have surfaced,” he said.

A copy of an internal email sent by Ravi requesting officers to direct staff to cease operations and recount the company assets, have surfaced and were being circulated.

The email also read: “All refunds and enquiries related to the passengers who have booked with us earlier should be directed to info@rayaniair.com or our call centre at +60327214925.”

The following is the transcript of Malay Mail’s interaction with Ravi via WhatsApp.

Malay Mail (MM): Can we confirm that the email on the cessation of operations is genuine? Ravi : Yes it is genuine. I have requested for a suspension from the Transport Ministry, DCA and (Malaysian) Aviation Commission. There are several department heads planning to close Rayani Air by doing this ... sabotage. MM: Why are they trying to sabotage Rayani Air? Ravi: I do not know the motive. MM: How do you plan to resolve this? Ravi: We will clean up the company. God will help. MM: It is understood pilots are on a strike because they have not been paid and also due to aircraft issues? Ravi: (no response) MM: This is not the first restructuring exercise by the company. Do you think this exercise will be successful? Ravi: (no response) MM: Can an airlines just cease operations? Ravi: (no response)