Islamic airline takes off with a prayer

The short domestic flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's biggest city, begins 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.

Malaysia's Rayani Air took to the skies over the weekend with a clear bailiwick. It is the country's first Islamic airline, offering flights that adhere to Islamic rules, including prayers, no serving of alcohol or meals with pork, and a strict dress code for Muslim female flight attendants.

The idea for Rayani Air grew out of much-publicized complaints by conservative Muslims who believed that two major air disasters for the national Malaysia Airlines - Flight 370 that went missing in March 2014 and Flight 17 downed a few months later over Ukraine were caused by Allah's wrath. Their solution: Airlines must adopt strict Islamic customs to avoid divine retribution.