But what makes it special is that it made it compulsory for Muslim women cabin crew to wear hijab and for non-Muslim staff to wear a decent uniform.
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A new airline in Malaysia embarked on its maiden flight between Kuala Lumpur and the northwestern resort island of Langkawi yesterday – Rayani Air, a privately-owned carrier designed for a special sales proposition: It is the first Shariah-compliant airline in Malaysia, mainly, but not exclusively, targeting Muslim travelers.
Jaafar said for starters, Rayani Air will mount two 22-year-old Boeing 737-400s to serve Langkawi International Airport, klia2 and Kota Baru, followed by Kuching and Kota Kinabalu in early 2016.
The company’s Managing Director Jaafar Zamhari told the Star newspaper: ‘We are the first Malaysian airline to be shariah-compliant based on guidelines by relevant authorities.
He said Langkawi has been chosen as a hub for the airline because of its attraction as a destination for tourists. The airline also only serves halal food, doesn’t offer alcohol and recites prayers before the departure of each flight.
Director-General of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said with the ASL and AOC, Rayani Air could operate as a full fledged airline.
Meanwhile, Jaafar also highlighted the fact that Rayani Air is not a low-priced carrier, nor a hybrid Airline.
“We porvide 16 business class seats and 128 economy class seats”, said Jaafar.
“In our projection of cash flow, we anticipate the payback period to take three years”, Jaafar said, but declined to reveal the amount of money the airline will invest to kickstart its operations.
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Rayani Air is now using two Boeing 737-400 aircrafts, which was purchased from Neptune Air Limited. “The airline has its expansion plan starting with adding more domestic routes and aircraft within the next few years”, he said. There are plans to introduce routes to the Middle East and provide flights for both the Umrah and Hajj.
