Malaysia's Rayani Air brought to the skies with a clear bailiwick. It is the nation's first Islamic carrier, offering flights that hold fast to Islamic rules, including prayers to God, no serving of liquor or meals with pork, and a strict dress code for Muslim female flight attendants.
The thought for Rayani Air became out of much promoted complaints by conservative Muslims who trusted that two major air disasters for the national Malaysia Airlines - Flight 370 that disappeared in March 2014 and Flight 17 brought down a couple of months after over Ukraine - were created by Allah's anger. Their answer: Airlines must embrace strict Islamic traditions to stay away from divine revenge.
The response to the disasters, and the formation of the airline that worked its inaugural flight on Sunday, is an example of rising hard-line Islamic values in Malaysia, where Muslims account for approximately 60 percent of the nation's 30 million individuals.
Incidentally, the people who addressed the call of conservative Islam and began Rayani Air are Hindus. The organisers of the carrier, which as of now travels to three local destinations utilising two Boeing 737s, are Ravi Alagendrran and his wife, Karthiyani Govindan.
Alagendrran told local media 'anyone wishing to travel in a modest and alcohol-free environment will feel right at home.'
On a 55-minute flight Tuesday (postponed by two hours) from Kuala Lumpur toward the northeastern city of Kota Baru, more than 100 travellers were welcomed by Muslim female flight attendants wearing dark headscarves, long jeans and lime-green coats. A prayer was recited before departure and travellers were served halal food.
Rayani Air is the fourth Islamic carrier on the planet after Royal Brunei Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Iran Air. Jaafar said that male and female travellers are not isolated, and that there is no dress code for passengers.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
