Cover image via The Australian
On 20 December last year, Malaysia's first and the world's fourth Syaria-compliant airline, Rayani Air, started operations when it took off on its maiden flight to Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur
Image via Bloomberg TV
Rayani Air is a full-service airline that adheres to Islamic rule, thus it only serves halal dishes and requires for prayers to be recited before the flight departs.
The Islamic airline was founded by ethnic Malaysian Indians, Ravi Alagendrran and his wife Karthiyani Govindan. The name Rayani, is said to be the combination of Ravi and his wife Karthiyani's name.
Reflective of the Syariah guidelines, the Muslim female crew are required to wear hijab, while the non-Muslim crew have to be decently dressed.
Rayani Air's current destinations are to Langkawi International Airport (Rayani Air's base), Kuala Lumpur International Airport , Kota Bharu- Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport and Kuching International Airport.
Unfortunately, the excitement was short-lived as complains started pouring in about the poor management and service of the Islamic airline.
Here are some of the major incidents that have tainted the reputation of Rayani Airlines:
Image via Yahoo! News
1. The first ever major complaint about the airline came on 9 February when 200 passengers were stranded at the Langkawi International Airport after the flight was cancelled due to "technical glitches"
Passengers standing by the Rayani Air office at the Langkawi International Airport to obtain more information about the canceled flights
Image via New Straits Times
In a statement that was issued following the delay, the Rayani Air management informed that the flight cancelation was caused by a shattered windshield from the cockpit of Boeing 737
2. In the midst of that unresolved issue, comments and videos started surfacing online about a 13-hour delay for a Kota Kinabalu bound flight
According to a comment that was directed to the official Twitter handle of Rayani Air, a fellow passenger expressed her frustration about a Kota Kinabalu bound flight that was due to depart on 16 March at 11:10am but was delayed and re-timed multiple times instead.
Another Facebook user also narrated her experience of that similar situation, pointing out that when they were finally boarded the flight, the day after, on the 17th of March at 2am, the passengers were asked to disembark from the flight due to 'technical errors'.
The Facebook status further enlightened that the Rayani management informed that the flight has been cancelled only at 10:43am, the next morning.
Image via Malaysian Digest
Image via Malaysian Digest
3. The days followed with even more flight delays, flight cancellations and complaints about their Rayani's customer service
Image via Malaysian Digest
Image via Facebook/ Rayani Air
"Made my 80-year-old grandmother wait for the flight from 8:30pm till 9:30am (the next day), and then (they) canceled the flight," read one of the complaints on Twitter.
The complainants were further enraged by the fact that Rayani Air failed to provide replacement flights after cancelling the scheduled ones.
Image via Facebook/Rayani Air
A passenger even resorted to 'reminding' the airlines about his refund on their official Facebook page post
Image via Facebook/ Rayani Air
4. Making matters worse, Kampung Tunku Assemblyman Lau Weng San posted a photo of a handwritten boarding pass that he received when flying from Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak with Rayani Air on 19 March
A boarding pass is a piece of document provided by airlines during check-ins, giving the passenger permission to board the flight. The pass would detail the passenger's identification, the flight schedule and number.
Warning that handwritten boarding passes could pose a security threat, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai informed that Rayani Air is now officially under the investigation of the Transport Ministry
Liow also mentioned that Rayani Air may face suspension if the airline doesn't buckle up and improve its services
Image via Yahoo! News
