Malaysia Launches Its First ‘Sharia-Compliant Airline’

Rayani Air a Malaysian airline which is the first Sharia-compliant airline in the country took to the skies this weekend.
In accordance with Sharia law, female crew members who identify as Muslim must wear a traditional hijab, while 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. Furthermore, 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.