The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has issued a temporary operation suspension notice to Rayani Air, suspending the syariah-compliant airline for three months from today, its director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said.

"Under the exercise of powers conferred by sub-regulation 87(1) of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1998, DCA hereby provisionally suspends Rayani Air," Azharuddin said.

An inquiry will be held by DCA on May 12 for Rayani Air to explain its cause, he said.

Yesterday, Rayani Air suspended its operations until further notice due to a pilot strike.

Azharuddin declined to furnish details on the four-month old airlines' shortfall.

The airline has three months to make improvements, he said on the sidelines of a media briefing in Putrajaya.

"We have our reason to suspend and they knew it already. They have to improve," he said, adding that DCA had previously given the airline a warning.

"They have three months to do so. We will lift the suspension in three months if they fulfil all our requirements.

"We are exercising our rights, we cannot let flights that contravene our regulations to fly," he said.

Failure to do so, Azharuddin said, would risk Rayani Air being suspended for a longer period, or even permanently.

The temporary suspension decision was made after the new airline was given ample time to improve and following a series of discussions with Rayani Air, he said.

Azharuddin also acknowleged that this was the first time ever that the DCA has suspended an air operating certificate.

DCA has always been very stringent in allowing new airlines to commence operating, he said.

Rayani Air also made it to the headlines when it issued handwritten boarding passes to its passengers.