Monday, May 23, 2016

Fate of Rayani Air to be decided soon - Liow

KUALA LUMPUR: The transport ministry will soon decide whether Rayani Air should continue operations after the syariah-compliant airline was suspended for three months following a string of controversies.

Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he had received the final report on Rayani Air and was waiting for a date to decide on the (outcome) of the hearing.

"Final report given to me. I will make a final decision on Rayani Air very soon. The report is ready. I am waiting for a date to decide on the decision of the inquiry," he told reporters after launching the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Aeropolis here today.

The final report was prepared by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) after an inquiry session with Rayani Air founder, Datuk G. Karthiyani at the DCA headquarters in Putrajaya on May 12.

Previously, the DCA suspended Rayani Air for three months, beginning April 11, following which the DCA undertook full administrative and safety audit of the airline's operations to assess its compliance with the Air Operator Certificate.

Meanwhile, Liow said the ministry would call Tourism Malaysia chairman Wee Choo Keong for a detailed explanation on his alleged action during the recently concluded 4th China (Beijing) International Tourism Expo 2016.

"I think, as a nation, we should promote tourism and we should promote airlines flying in Malaysia when we are abroad. I would like an explanation from him over his action," he said.

Liow was commenting on Wee's alleged tantrums at the expo in which he had lashed out at his staff after seeing that an AirAsia bunting was put up alongside other promotional materials at Tourism Malaysia's booth.

On the vanished Malaysia Airlines MH370 jetliner, the minister said the search operation continued in the southern Indian Ocean and as of today, more than 105,000 sq km had been covered.

"As I said earlier, two pieces of debris discovered in South Africa and the Mauritius Island of Rodrigues are almost certain to have come from the missing aircraft, based on the serial number.

"Let us complete the search operation up to 120,000 sq km area and not make any assumption," he said.

Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, disappeared from the radar during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

The KLIA Aeropolis by Malaysia Airports is an ecosystem development that is synergistic with the airport business, and one of the strategic pillars in Malaysia Airports' five-year business plan, Runway to Success 2020.

Source: Bernama | 23 May 2016

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