Rayani Air CEO misses inquiry after fainting due to high blood pressure

PETALING JAYA: Rayani Air chief executive officer Ravi Alagendrran (pic), who is under pressure after the suspension of the airline's operations, was unable to attend the Department of Civil Aviation inquiry Thursday.

Ravi, who runs the world’s first syariah-compliant airline, said he fainted because of high blood pressure.

“Yes, pressure high,” he said when contacted.

However, his wife Datuk Karthiyani Govindan attended the inquiry into the airline’s unilateral decision to temporarily halt operations without approval of aviation authorities.

Karthiyani is co-founder of Rayani Air.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had warned that the company risks losing its air operations certificate (AOC) if DCA is not satisfied with its explanation.

He said DCA will conduct an administration and safety audit to determine if Rayani Air is fit for the AOC after serving provisional suspension.

On April 11, DCA suspended Rayani Air’s AOC for three months after the airline temporarily halted operations following a strike by pilots a couple of days earlier.

Rayani Air, which was launched in December last year, is the first local airline company to have its operations suspended for allegedly breaching the Civil Aviation Regulations 1966