Malaysia's first sharia-compliant airline makes its debut flight

Malaysia’s first Sharia-compliant airline (and only
the fourth in the world), Rayani Air took to the
skies over the weekend. Acting in accordance with
Sharia law, female crewmembers who identify as
Muslim must wear a traditional hijabwhile non-
Muslim crew are required to be “decently
dressed.”
All food and beverages served in flight will be
halal-certified and a strict no-alcohol policy will be
enforced as well. Additionally, prayers will be
recited before the departure of each flight. “We
are the first Malaysian airline to be Sharia-
compliant, based on guidelines by relevant
authorities,” recently named Rayani Air managing
director Jaafar Zamhari said in a statement. “We
are proud of this.”
Halal—foods that are permissible for Muslims to
eat or drink under Sharia law—excludes pork and
its by-products, alcohol, and animals not
slaughtered according to Islamic practices.
While Rayani Airlines isn’t the first carrier to
abide by Sharia law, Malaysia is officially billed
as a secular state with a more moderate
temperament. Other Sharia carriers operate in the
more fundamentalist communities of Saudi Arabia
and Iran. However reports of increasingly
conservative attitudes have been on the rise over
recent months in Malaysia, according to reports.
Based in the Island resort town of Langkawi in
the Andaman Sea, Rayani Air was granted their
Air Service License and Air Operator's Certificate
from the Department of Civil Aviation on Friday
and has since launched its inaugural flight from
Kuala Lumpur.
For now, the carrier plans to operate domestic
flights within Malaysia using Boeing 737s before
expanding internationally to Asia Pacific routes
including South-east Asia, China, Australia, and
the Middle East.
Rayani air