Rayani Air can apply for new licence to resume operations

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi said the company would also be required to submit a new business strategy in addition to sourcing for a partner with sound financial backing.

"They (Rayani Air) have expressed desire (verbally) to the government to restart their operations, and want to reactivate their licence which was revoked.

"However, the government through the DCA and Mavcom cannot consider their request due to several reasons and has advised them to apply for a new license if they want to continue operations," he told reporters after launching the 13th International Vessel Traffic Service (IVTS) Symposium 2016 here, today.

He was commenting on Air Rayani chief executive officer Ravi Alagendrran's post on his Facebook page yesterday, stating that the company was working hard to convince the DCA and Mavcom for a second chance.

Ab Aziz said the government had no objection for any party to run an airline business, and it was in fact welcomed, as it could strengthen the country's tourism industry and create more job opportunities.

He said it was also the government's policy to create more airline operators to provide adequate services to bring in tourists to the country.

"Currently, there is a high demand from tourists intending to come here, especially from China, however, aircrafts are limited. So with the development of the tourism industry, it is indeed necessary to have more airline operators," he said.

The DCA had cancelled the Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) of Rayani Air after it conducted a full investigation into the administration of the company as well as an operational safety audit.

Mavcom subsequently cancelled the airline's Air Service License (ASL) after finding that the company had violated conditions set out in the ASL and was in a weak financial position to continue operations.