New Dawn: The Rise of Halal Carriers
When the first Islamic low-cost carrier took to the skies over the last days of 2015, it was signalling for the start of a new dawn for the Halal travel industry. Malaysia’s Rayani Air is a ‘spin-off’ for the pioneering traditional Islamic full service carriers (eg Royal Brunei, Saudia and Iran Air). Rayani, already attractive for cost-conscious passengers, is trying to re-define the concept of travelling while adhering to Islamic rules as follows:
- Beginning its flight with a recital of Prophet Muhammad’s supplication before his travel
- The passengers – most of them Muslims – cup their hands, as a crew member murmurs a short prayer over the loudspeaker just before takeoff.
- There is no serving of alcohol or meals with pork.
- There is a strict dress code for Muslim female flight attendants.
Piety versus business opportunity
Rayani is not a holy airline but rather a low-cost carrier (LCC) that is open to all races and religions. Although LCCs have revolutionized the short-haul market, others are trying to enhance their business models by creating their own niche market. Rayani is trying to provide travelling alternatives for Shariah-conscious travellers. Rayani’s founding shareholders (Hindus) exemplified how a business opportunity knows no religious boundary.
Tapping the Halal phenomenon
According to Ogilvy Noor, Halal is moving beyond the conventional good, wholesome and pure. It is extending to beauty, pharmaceuticals and even tourism. At the heart of this Halal revolution, explains Ogilvy Noor, is the unsung consumer, the new age Muslim consumer, the futurist, responsible for shaping branding and marketing for the generations to come.
Rayani is not an isolated Halal travel business opportunity. These ‘futurists’ are also behind the UK-based Firnas Airways. The Halal carrier plans to provide unrivalled services for the large British Muslim population travelling to the Middle East and Asia. Bespoke services will include high-quality Halal cuisine, Kiblahs and an alcohol-free refreshment offering. Firnas Airways’s name takes us back to our rich Islamic history. It is named after the world’s first aviator, Abbas Ibn Firnas. The Andalusian polymath is known for his first successful attempt at human flight in 875 CE in the city of Qurtuba Al-Andalus (Cordoba, Spain).
Spectacular growth of the Halal travel industry
The Halal major players are beginning to reckon with the spending power of Muslim consumers (Muslims account for 23% of the world’s population). In 2014, Muslims from around the globe spent US$142 billion on travel (excluding Hajj and Umrah), placing the Muslim travel sector in third place in global travel spending and accounting for 11% of total global expenditures on travel (based on the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2015-16). Hence, it makes sense to see these farsighted entrepreneurs, who were behind the Halal carriers, trying to capture a slice of this attractive market.
Paying tribute to Shariah-conscious travellers
The evolution of Halal travelling continues, from serving Halal meals by traditionalist airliners to creating fully-fledged Islamic carriers that cater to the needs of Muslim travellers. The purchasing power of Muslim consumers are re-shaping the global travel and hospitality industry as we know it!
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