Kaula Lumpur: The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) said it has withdrawn the airline’s certification because of concerns over its safety audit and administration.
Rayani Air was launched last December which offers only halal food, no alcohol and crew wearing modest clothing. It has two Boeing 737-400 planes in its fleet, each able to carry about 180 passengers, eight pilots and 50 crew members.
The DCA announced on Monday that Rayani Air could no longer operate as a commercial airline.
It follows a three month suspension after the airline failed to follow flight regulations. A safety audit was later conducted to assess its operations.
Malaysia’s aviation commission said in a statement that the airline “had breached the conditions of its Air Service Licence (ASL) and lacks the financial and management capacity to continue operating as a commercial airline”.
The DCA said it had conducted a “thorough deliberation” on the airline’s response to the safety audit.
Based on the island of Langkawi, Rayani Air had been flying to the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and the northern city of Kota Bahru.
It had plans to fly to more Malaysian cities and eventually schedule flights to Mecca for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, reports said.