IRS plane crash: Investigation to be handled by Niger Republic Pre

A Fokker 100 with registration number 5NSIK, belonging to the IRS airline, lost contact with the control tower at Ganla, Niger Republic, and crashed.The Acting Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Benedict Adeyileka, said on Monday that investigation into the crashed IRS aircraft was being handled by Niger Republic.He disclosed this while briefing aviation correspondents at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.A Fokker 100 with registration number 5NSIK, belonging to the IRS airline, lost contact with the control tower at Ganla, Niger Republic, and crashed.He noted that the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIPB) and the NCAA would provide assistance in the course of the investigation.“As soon as we have an update on the pilot, we will let you know. The investigation is being handled by the Niger Republic because it is within their territory.“The NCAA and the AIPB are offering assistance, so we have a team together and we are trying to contact them so that we can work together,” he said.The director-general, however, said that the important thing was that the crash did not occur within the Nigeria airspace. Premiumtimesng.com reported.

Easyjet enjoys boost from business passengers

]Easyjet has reported a narrowing of half-year losses, helped by a rise in the number of business passengers and tight control on costs.

The carrier recorded a pre-tax loss of £53m for the six months to 31 March, against a £61m loss a year earlier.

The firm traditionally runs at a loss in the period because fewer customers fly in winter.

However, an 8.5% growth in business passengers, ahead of overall passenger growth of 4%, helped it to cut losses.

Over the past four years, Easyjet has increased the number of business travelers

by 44%.

Easyjet chief executive Carolyn McCall told BBC's Radio 4 that the airline had taken business travellers from "legacy carriers" such as Air France, Lufthansa and British Airways.

"I think allocated seating has been the single most popular thing we've ever done with our passengers and it's definitely taken a barrier away from people who would never have tried us before, particularly business travellers," she said.

Easyjet said a "ruthless focus on cost" had also helped it to narrow losses.

It said it had made annual savings worth £14m in the period, thanks in part to the benign winter weather, which meant lower de-icing costs and fewer disruptions to flights.

The airline said it was "well placed" for the second half of the financial year.