The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) will issue a temporary operation suspension notice to Rayani Air on Monday after the airline announced its operation suspension yesterday, said Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

He said the operation suspension will be effective from tomorrow and the airline should not have suspended its operation on its own without the permission of the DCA.

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

"Hence, Rayani Air will be suspended under Regulation 87 (1) of the Malaysian Civil Aviation Regulation 1996, and the audit process will be carried out by the DCA to ensure the company is certified to continue its operations," he said to reporters after the Road Transport Department's 70th celebration ceremony in Putrajaya today.

If Rayani Air failed to comply with the conditions set by the DCA, then the company would face the possibility of having its licence revoked by the department, he added.

Meanwhile, DCA director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said an audit would be carried out on the company and the department would give the opportunity to the airline to give its explanation and presentation.

"I have not been informed further on the company's operation suspension, and to be fair, DCA will contact Rayani Air on the problems it is facing," he said.

He added that if any airline companies want to suspend a flight route, it should make an application to the DCA six months earlier.

On the increase in fees of up to 10 times imposed by the DCA on airline companies from April 15, Liow said the increase was right and just considering the charges had not been raised since over 40 years ago.

"For the ministry, the increase is reasonable given that the DCA has improved its capability in terms of technology for air traffic control as well as increased its safety inspection control on aircraft and airports," he said.

The charges were also among the lowest when compared with airports in the region, he added.

Possible MH370 fragment on the way

On updates of MH370 search mission, Liow said the piece of wreckage found believed to be from MH370 aircraft on Rodrigues Island, Mauritius recently would be sent to Malaysia today.

"If necessary, the fragment would be sent to Australia to be analysed in greater detail," he said.

On April 3, MH370 Independent Group expert Don Thompson said the debris believed to have come from inside the cabin of MH370 aircraft was found on an island in Mauritius, east of Africa.

On March 8, 2014, Boeing 777-200ER aircraft owned by Malaysia Airlines carrying 239 passengers and crew on its way to Beijing disappeared from radar after about 49 minutes after takeoff from the KL International Airport at 12.41am.

- Bernama