Rayani chief executive Ravi Alagendrran also dismissed a threat action by airline staff to recover unpaid salaries.

“Yes, I will pay them. I have investors,” he was quoted as saying. “Look at them (the staff), you think they can bring in investors?” He accused them of “following their emotions like children”.

The staff have said that they were in discussion with several investors to buy a majority holding in the airline. Ravi criticised the protest leader, Rayani Air’s KLIA 2 station manager Zulkalnain Azdan, who had accused Ravi of having no aviation experience and for making racist remarks against the staff.

The report also said Ravi had claimed that Zulkalnain had originally been hired as a cleaner for his planes and that Ravi had been forced by the other staff to promote Zulkalnain as station manager.

Rayani Air has been suspended by the civil aviation authorities for flouting conditions of the airline’s operating certificate after complaints of cancelled flights and long delays.

Ravi announced earlier this week that he was willing to give up a part of his shares in order to keep the airline flying. A lack of funds had caused a strike by pilots but he was unwilling to sell the airline after having founded it with his wife Karthiyani Govindan, the report said.