Norwegian : FY : NAX :

Norwegian's Traffic Figures May 2010

Source: Norwegian

04/06/2010

The total number of passengers flown in May 2010 was 1,185,373 compared to 946,082 last year, an increase of 239,291 passengers (25 %).

Compared to the same period last year:

- Total passenger traffic (RPK) increased by 37 %

- Total capacity (ASK) increased by 38 %

- The load factor was 77 %, which is equivalent to last year

Norwegian buys an additional 15 aircraft from Boeing

2010-07-19


Norwegian has confirmed an order of an additional 15 Next-Generation 737-800 jetliners from Boeing. The brand new aircraft will be delivered between 2014 and 2016. Norwegian already has a pending order of 48 state-of-the-art 737-800s from Boeing that are continually being delivered up until 2014.
”New planes are reliable and have a strong passenger appeal, in addition to securing an environmentally friendly operation and lower maintenance costs. Owning an aircraft is cheaper than leasing, and new planes are mandatory to a smooth and cost-efficient operation. As the Next-Generation 737-800 is an extremely attractive medium-haul aircraft that has a long waiting list, we are placing this order now to secure our future deliveries. In addition, the aircraft uses considerably less fuel than any comparable jetliner, which makes it the industry’s most environmentally friendly,” said Bjørn Kjos, CEO of Norwegian.
The 15 aircraft will also be delivered with Boeing SKY interior which is based on the Boeing Dreamliner interiors. Norwegian will be the European launch customer of the Boeing SKY interior in December 2010.
Favorable deal
Norwegian’s solid customer relationship with Boeing, the world’s leading aerospace company, played a significant role when agreeing on the terms and conditions of the significant order boost.
“Our relationship with and large orders from Boeing combined have given us a favourable deal. It’s obvious that Boeing considers its partners according to cost-control and potential,” he said.
"Norwegian is an extremely important customer for us. Over a short period of time we have worked with Norwegian to deliver a fleet of highly efficient and reliable Next-Generation 737s that support their growth strategy. Norwegian's success in the European market is a testament to their focus and to the performance of the 737," said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The financing of the 15 new deliveries will commence in 2012 in line with equity and debt structures currently employed.
Large order
In 2007 Norwegian bought 42 Next-Generation 737-800s from Boeing, an order valued at 18 billion NOK at list prices. This order has later been increased to 48 aircraft to be delivered between 2008 and 2014. So far, four of these aircraft have been delivered and are currently in operation. Of this pending order now increased to a total of 63 aircraft, 44 remain to be delivered. Norwegian is currently replacing its older Boeing 737-300 faster than planned. In 2012 the airline will have a fleet of 63 Next-Generation 737-800s. Subsequently, the fleet will be increased additionally by Norwegian-owned 800s and a number of leased aircraft.

More than 1.3 million passengers flew with Norwegian in July, an increase of 274,000 (26 percent) compared to July 2009.
Consequently, the airline sets a passenger record for the third consecutive month.

”I’m very pleased with the great boost in the July traffic figures. The airline industry has been facing turbulent times recently due to the closing of European airspace and third party strikes.

However, the heavy passenger growth proves that our customers are confident that Norwegian and the airline industry in general are back on track,” said Bjørn Kjos, Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian.

The load factor was 85 per cent in July, down 3 percent from last year.

The airline operated 99.7 of its scheduled flights, of which 79.2 percent departed on time.

Norwegian’s punctuality was influenced by industrial actions by third party strikes in Greece and France, in
addition to heavy slot delays in Northern Spain, France, Greece and Croatia due to congested airspace.

Boeing, Airbus Vie for Norwegian Air Wide-Body Order for Long-Haul Routes


[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], Europe’s fourth-largest discount carrier, plans to order wide-body jetliners from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] or Airbus SAS next month as it gears up for the introduction of its first long-haul routes.
The company will choose between Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and has held talks with the suppliers in Norway, Chief Executive Officer [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] said yesterday in a phone interview. It already has 63 737 single-aisle jets on order after adding 15 aircraft to a contract with Boeing in July.
Norwegian Air plans to commence flights from Oslo and Stockholm to Bangkok and New York in the second half of 2011 and will add about 15 long-distance routes over the next few years, Kjos said. The new order will probably include the introduction of two planes initially and two more the year after, he said.
The Fornebu-based carrier will reach its fleet decision based on “the prices we can obtain in the market and availability,” the CEO said. “The Dreamliner is nearest in time with regards to delivery, but Airbus is a very good product.”
Boeing postponed delivery of the $178 million [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] for the sixth time on Aug. 27 after Rolls-Royce Group Plc was unable to supply an engine to complete testing, and the first of the composite-plastic planes will now be handed over in the middle of the first quarter of 2011.
The Airbus A350-900 is scheduled to enter service in 2013, followed by the smaller -800 in 2014 and the -1000 in late 2015. The model has an average list price of about $255 million.
‘Worrisome’ Delays
“Of course it’s been worrisome for everybody that we’ve had delays with Boeing, but on the other hand it’s an incredibly complicated aircraft,” the CEO said. “We don’t know if the A350 will have delays. This is completely different technology, so it would almost be surprising if they didn’t.”
Kjos said that given the in-service dates and delivery backlogs for both the 787 and A350, Norwegian Air may agree to take models that are more readily available on a temporary basis -- the A330 in the case of Airbus.
Founded in 1993, Norwegian Air has focused on short-haul flights, almost wholly in Europe, since switching to a discount model in 2001.
The carrier is also working on an agreement with Finnair Oyj to funnel passengers onto the Helsinki-based carrier’s long- haul flights to Asia. Finnair in June said implementation of the plan had been delayed by the incompatibility of information- technology systems used by the two carriers.
“They want to enter a code-share deal and we want that deal, so it’s more a question of system developments that need to fall into place,” Kjos said. “We don’t want the costs that the traditional systems entail, so we’re developing others.”
Ryanair Holdings Plc is Europe’s biggest low-cost carrier, followed by EasyJet Plc and Air Berlin Plc.

Scandinavian budget carrier Norwegian has signed a letter of intent to lease two [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-8s from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC).

Norwegian will take delivery of the aircraft from autumn 2012 and will use them to launch its planned long-haul operation.
The carrier said earlier this year that it planned to launch long-haul operations in 2011, and that it envisioned acquiring up to 15 widebodies.
New York and Bangkok have been named by Norwegian as being the "most likely" initial destinations.

Norwegian chief commercial officer Daniel Skjeldam said last year that the long-haul operation would be a separate entity from the carrier's European services and would operate as a low-cost carrier.

Norwegian has selected Trent 1000 engines from Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, to power nine Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The airline has also signed a $450m Rolls-Royce TotalCare® long-term engine services contract. This is the first time Norwegian has selected Rolls-Royce engines.

The order takes the total number of airlines that have selected the Trent 1000 to 21. Rolls-Royce has been chosen for six of the last seven Boeing 787 Dreamliner engine selections.

The Trent 1000, specifically designed and optimised for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, will power the aircraft’s first passenger service with All Nippon Airways later this year. The engine also powered the first flight of the aircraft in December 2009.

Dan Pedley, Rolls-Royce, Vice President, Customer Business - Europe, said: “This order begins what I firmly believe will be a very strong partnership between Rolls-Royce and Norwegian. We are delighted the airline will be joining our family of Trent operators, selecting world-leading technology and support.”

Tore Jenssen, Fleet Manager, Norwegian, said: “I am delighted that we will operate Trent technology. The Trent 1000 has demonstrated world-class fuel burn, and its proven Trent family performance retention delivers this benefit longer through life. In addition the TotalCare® long term service agreement will provide us with a comprehensive support and monitoring package, enabling us to better manage costs.”

The Trent 1000 produces the lowest CO2, and is the quietest engine on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner reinforcing its industry-leading environmental credentials.

TotalCare® long-term service agreements, in place on 90 per cent of Trent engines, are designed to minimise customer financial risk and enhance operational performance and reliability, allowing operators to concentrate on their core business.
The Norwegian Boeing 787 Dreamliners will enter into service in late 2012 or early 2013.

La compagnie à bas coûts Norwegian achète trois Boeing 787 Dreamliner

La compagnie aérienne à bas coûts Norwegian a annoncé jeudi qu'elle allait acheter trois long-courriers Boeing 787 Dreamliner, un contrat dont la valeur n'a pas été divulguée.

Ces trois Boeing s'ajoutent à deux appareils du même type qui seront pris en leasing auprès du loueur d'avions ILFC, conformément à une annonce faite en novembre dernier.

Norwegian est en cours de négociations pour des appareils supplémentaires de ce type, selon un communiqué.

Les cinq appareils Dreamliner de Norwegian seront équipés de moteurs Rolls-Royce Trent 1000, a précisé la compagnie.

Selon cette dernière, l'appareil permettra d'économiser du carburant et de réduire jusqu'à 20% les émissions de CO2 par rapport aux avions comparables.

Depuis le coup d'envoi du programme en 2004, le long-courrier de moyenne capacité 787 de Boeing a rencontré des problèmes industriels à répétition et les premières livraisons sont désormais prévues au troisième trimestre 2011.

Dans le passé, Norwegian, grand concurrent de la compagnie scandinave en difficultés SAS, avait exprimé l'intention de se lancer sur le créneau des vols transcontinentaux en ouvrant au départ d'Oslo des liaisons vers les Etats-Unis et Bangkok.

Les trois appareils pris en propriété par Norwegian entreront en service au premier semestre 2013 pour les deux premiers et début 2015 pour le troisième.

Les appareils acheté en leasing devraient quant à eux rejoindre la flotte de la low cost fin 2012 ou début 2013.

Norwegian est un client traditionnel de Boeing. Sa flotte est composée exclusivement d'avions produits par le constructeur américain et inclut 57 Boeing 737, lesquels sont progressivement remplacés par des appareils du même type, déjà commandés

Jeannot a écrit:La compagnie à bas coûts Norwegian achète trois Boeing 787 Dreamliner

La compagnie à bas coûts Norwegian achète trois Boeing 787 Dreamliner

La compagnie aérienne à bas coûts Norwegian a annoncé jeudi qu'elle allait acheter trois long-courriers Boeing 787 Dreamliner, un contrat dont la valeur n'a pas été divulguée.

Ces trois Boeing s'ajoutent à deux appareils du même type qui seront pris en leasing auprès du loueur d'avions ILFC, conformément à une annonce faite en novembre dernier.

Norwegian est en cours de négociations pour des appareils supplémentaires de ce type, selon un communiqué.

Les cinq appareils Dreamliner de Norwegian seront équipés de moteurs Rolls-Royce Trent 1000, a précisé la compagnie.

Selon cette dernière, l'appareil permettra d'économiser du carburant et de réduire jusqu'à 20% les émissions de CO2 par rapport aux avions comparables.

Depuis le coup d'envoi du programme en 2004, le long-courrier de moyenne capacité 787 de Boeing a rencontré des problèmes industriels à répétition et les premières livraisons sont désormais prévues au troisième trimestre 2011.

Dans le passé, Norwegian, grand concurrent de la compagnie scandinave en difficultés SAS, avait exprimé l'intention de se lancer sur le créneau des vols transcontinentaux en ouvrant au départ d'Oslo des liaisons vers les Etats-Unis et Bangkok.

Les trois appareils pris en propriété par Norwegian entreront en service au premier semestre 2013 pour les deux premiers et début 2015 pour le troisième.

Les appareils acheté en leasing devraient quant à eux rejoindre la flotte de la low cost fin 2012 ou début 2013.

Norwegian est un client traditionnel de Boeing. Sa flotte est composée exclusivement d'avions produits par le constructeur américain et inclut 57 Boeing 737, lesquels sont progressivement remplacés par des appareils du même type, déjà commandés

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].asp

Marsoin a écrit:Oui, ce sont trois d'Icelandair

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

Norwegian Air Shuttle étoffe sa flotte potentielle de Dreamliner.

La compagnie low-cost norvégienne a annoncé le 26 mai qu’elle avait signé une lettre d’intention avec Icelandair pour acquérir trois des Boeing 787-8 qu’elle avait commandés – quatre figurent au carnet de commandes du
constructeur.

Scandinavian budget carrier Norwegian has signed a letter of intent with [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Group affiliate company IG Invest for the right to acquire three [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-8s on order for the Icelandic flag carrier.

The agreement transfers the rights to purchase the three aircraft to Norwegian.

IG Invest has one further 787 on order.

Norwegian said that two of the aircraft were expected to be delivered in the first half of 2013 and the third in early 2015.
It announced in November 2010 that it was leasing an initial pair of 787-8s and has plans to acquire up to nine of the type as it seeks to expand into the long-haul, low-cost market. Its current fleet is composed entirely of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-300 and -800s.
Nobody was immediately available from either airline to elaborate on the agreement.

Norwegian signs for 15 more 737s, firms 787s

European low-cost operator Norwegian has ordered another 15 Boeing 737-800s, taking to 78 the number it has ordered from the US manufacturer.
The order, announced during the Paris air show, is valued at $1.2 billion.
Norwegian has also firmed its order to buy three Boeing 787s, first agreed in May.
Speaking at the order signing ceremony, Norwegian chief executive Bjorn Kjos said: "It is a fantastic airplane, it is absolutley the best in class. We have to invest in the future and it has the lowest emissions in class to-date."

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

He also said that he was pushing the airframer to produce an all-new 737 replacement. "Boeing has to build a completely new model with considerably lower fuel burn.
"I am lining up in the queue telling Boeing to build a new aircraft."
He said that the lower fuel burn required is not available with a current narrowbody design, it would have to use more advanced technology, as used on the 787.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, which is not leaving any doubt about its long-haul ambitions, signed a LOI Thursday with International Lease Finance Corp. for one more new Boeing 787-8 to increase its future fleet of the type to six. It also confirmed that “negotiations for further aircraft will continue.” The additional 787 is expected be delivered in early 2014; it is the third ILFC-leased 787.

Last year, Norwegian entered into a lease agreement for the delivery of two 787s in the fall 2012/winter 2013 ([Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]). Last month at the Paris Air Show, the Oslo-based LCC finalized its contract to purchase three 787s that were initially ordered by Icelandair Group. Two of the aircraft are expected to be delivered during the first half of 2013 and the third aircraft in early 2015 ([Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]). “The aircraft type, which is the most cost efficient in its class, will provide Norwegian with a strong competitive advantage and the passengers with low fares to distant destinations outside Europe," said CEO Bjorn Kjos.

Norwegian’s additional 787 order came on the heels of it posting strong second quarter results. A June quarter net profit of NOK53.7 million ($9.64 million) was reversed from a NOK134.4 million deficit in the year-ago period. Revenue for the quarter rose 34.1% year-over-year to NOK2.73 billion and operating expenses, excluding leasing and depreciation, increased by 26% to NOK2.38 billion. EBIT came in at NOK72.8 million, compared to a NOK92.8 million operating loss a year earlier.
Kjos said the second-quarter results were, “as expected, strongly affected by the high fuel price, which is almost 50% higher than the same period last year.” He added that he was “very pleased with the strong passenger growth.” He vowed to “keep a steady course toward lower costs and increased competitiveness.”

Passenger traffic climbed 29% to 4.32 billion RPKs on a 24% increase in ASKs to 5.52 billion, increasing load factor 3 points to 78%. Passenger numbers grew 26% to 4.04 million. Yield rose 5% to NOK0.55 while RASK was NOK0.43, up 9% from NOK0.39 in the year-ago period. Unit cost was flat at NOK0.52 and CASK ex-fuel was NOK0.32, 6% lower than NOK0.34 for the same period last year. The operator said RASK growth compared to last year partially reflects improved load factor, the closure of European airspace in April last year and an adjusted route portfolio.

For the 2011 first half, Norwegian reported a net loss of NOK239.5 million, reduced from a NOK333.6 million deficit in the year-ago period. First-half revenue was up 27.5 % to NOK4.62 billion on a 21% increase in passengers carried to 7.1 million.
As of June 30, Norwegian had 59 aircraft in its fleet, including 35 new 737-800s. So far this year, it has received 12 new -800s; three more will be delivered later this year. Older 737-300s are being phased out.

Entering the third quarter, the group said that demand and advance bookings have been “satisfactory” and that Wi-Fi equipment installation onboard its new 737-800s is proceeding as planned. It said 11aircraft will have Internet access this summer, and by the end of the year Wi-Fi equipment will be installed on 21 aircraft. Norwegian is maintaining its earlier guidance for full-year growth in ASKs of 25%, mainly from increasing its fleet by adding 737-800s.

Dual Fleet
The size of the Airbus and Boeing orders are individually large enough to optimize scale economies alone. The choice of a dual fleet
increases bargaining power for Norwegian and secures a more optimal delivery schedule of aircraft, as one single manufacturer is
not able to accommodate Norwegian’s need for aircraft. A dual fleet also reduces the risk of delayed certification and other risks associated with being dependent on one aircraft type only.

Low cost carrier Norwegian has unveiled plans to purchase 222 new aircraft: it has placed a firm order for 100 Boeing 737 Max and 22 737-800s and signed an MoU with Airbus for 100 A320neos.

The deal is worth Norwegian kroner 127 billion ($22 billion), the carrier said in a statement. The deal includes purchase rights for an additional 100 737 Max and 50 A320neos.

Separately, Boeing issued a statement saying that Norwegian is the first European carrier to finalise a deal for a member of the 737 Max family. Norwegian's order is for the 737-8 variant.

Deliveries of the new types will start in 2016.

"Today is a historic day for Norwegian," said Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos. "The order is the largest ever in European aviation history and marks a major milestone in the company's 10-year history."

The deal marks Norwegian's first order from Airbus. Kjos said the carrier has reached a size where it can benefit from having two suppliers. No engine selection has been made for the A320neos.

Boeing said the 737 Max now has over 1,000 orders and commitments from 15 customers.

With a greater level of structural modification required to accommodate new CFM International Leap-1B engines, Boeing's cost to develop the re-engined 737 Max is to be double that of Airbus, estimated a new report.

The 737 Max's lower ground clearance requires that the 173cm (68in) Leap-1B engine "must move farther up toward the wing," said the 23 January report from Bernstein Research.

"We understand that at (the engine's) proximity to the wing, important modifications (pylon and fuel tank) were made to address the risk of a blade out potentially puncturing the fuel tank," said the report.

"With a heavy engine positioned in front of the wing, combined with the longer nose gear, we believe ......

......that the design is more complex than that for the A320neo, which is mainly about strengthening the wing and wing join (also necessary on the 737 Max)," it added, concluding: "We expect development costs for the 737MAX to be roughly double those for the A320neo."

Further, Boeing is also adding fly-by-wire spoilers to the aircraft along with a re-lofted and re-shaped tail cone, as well as eliminating a structural body join.

Despite development challenges for both Boeing and Airbus, Bernstein said they are greater for Boeing, but ultimately manageable by both airframers.

Bernstein concluded the Next Generation 737 today is "roughly 4-5% more fuel efficient than the A320".

But the A320neo, which offers a choice of Leap-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines and sharklets, is expected to decrease the Airbus narrowbody's fuel burn performance deficit with the 737 by one to four percentage points.

The A320neo powered with PW1100G engines will enter service with Qatar Airways in October 2015, while the 737 Max will enter service with Southwest Airlines in the fourth quarter of 2017.

• Il ne faut jamais croire que les industriels, quels qu'ils soient, révèlent des détails authentiques et précis, validés (sauf, peut-être, après l'abandon d'un ancien produit, et l'introduction de son remplaçant .... ) de leurs 'composantes coûts', et / ou de leur prix / coût de revient ! Cela est confidentiel, et ceux qui déclarent faire des révélations ne révèlent rien de bon, ... parce qu'ils s'ils le faisaient, ils se trouveraient rapodement comme l'accusé lou le témoin principal dans un procès d'espionnage industriel, et de révélations non autorisées de "proprietary information" !
  

• Quand, en outre, il s'agit de coûts prévisionnels, étalés dans un 'canard', ou un papelard de rédacteur de feuille de chou, il ne faut pas les croire comme l'évangile ! Tout juste, le principe de la considération réfléchit le simple bon sens, et est à prendre en compte, ..... mais le chiffrage, avancé par les scribouillards, peut être une pure fiction. Ils ne connaissent aucun détail, avec précision ! Car, là ôù il s'agit d'un nouveau "process", par exemple, l'industriel (Boeing ou Airbus, dans ce contexte) ne va jamais révéler avant longtemps la véritable existence de ces nouveautés, et ne va surtout pas diffuser au grand public les détails techniques ou financiers,et encore moins à ce stade, le détail de leur traitement comptable.
  

Boeing disputes the cost estimates detailed in a recent Bernstein Research note claiming development of the 737 Max will be twice that of the Airbus A320neo, as well as other reports in the note.

"It's a mistake to think that the differences in engine installation dictate significant developmental cost differences between the 737 Max and A320 neo," said Karen Crabtree, spokesperson for Boeing Product Strategy.

Crabtree said Boeing understands the Next Generation 737 "extremely well" and understands "the changes required to incorporate the (CFM International Leap-1B) on the Max."

"Max development to date confirms earlier cost estimates and is well within our expectations when we launched the program in August," she added.

The company cited its history of re-engining aircraft such as the incremental development programmes of the 737 and 777 and most recently the 747-8.

"Boeing has a long history of integrating engines and wings with the latest tools and processes, not to mention an experienced workforce who has just completed two developmental programmes including a new engine and wing on the 747-8," she added.

Boeing contends that Airbus "has not made significant changes since the A320 was certified in 1988, has never re-engined the A320, and must make airplane changes to accommodate two engine types".

While Boeing claims Airbus has never re-engined the A320-100 with a significantly larger engine, the European airframer added the International Aero Engines V2500-A1 in 1989 to create the A320-200 and again in 2007 with the the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 on the A318.

"Wing strengthening is needed on both airplanes," Boeing added. "The neo is a significantly heavier aircraft and will likely require weight reduction changes that add complexity to that programme."

In a comprehensive note issued on 23 January, Bernstein compared the Max and the neo and concluded that Airbus has an easier task re-engining the A320 than Boeing does for the 737, and that Airbus could do so at half the cost.

"Development challenges should be manageable for Airbus and Boeing, but we see them as greatest for Boeing," Bernstein wrote. "Because the 737 has less ground clearance than the A320, the nose gear is being extended and the '(CFM) Leap engine must move farther up toward the wing (even with a smaller fan size).

"We understand that at this proximity to the wing, important modifications (pylon and fuel tank) were made to address the risk of a blade out potentially puncturing the fuel tank.

With a heavy engine positioned in front of the wing, combined with the longer nose gear, we believe that the design is more complex than that for the A320neo, which is mainly about strengthening the wing and wing join (also necessary on the 737 Max).

According to company sources, Boeing will strengthen sections 43 and 44 in the 737's mid-body in the event of an engine rotor burst.

"We expect development costs for the 737MAX to be roughly double those for the A320neo. With a heavy engine positioned in front of the wing, the centre of gravity also shifts forward."

Boeing's Crabtree declined to provide a cost estimate for the Max, but in March 2010, Mike Bair, vice president of business strategy & marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in an interview the estimated cost to re-engine the 737 would be $2bn-$3bn, including the portion for engine development contributed by CFM, said an industry source

Additionally, former Boeing CFO James Bell said during the company's second quarter 2011 earnings call, the research and development cost to Boeing to re-engine would be 10%-15% of the cost of a new airplane, which was at the time widely estimated by aerospace analysts to be $10-$12 billion.

Airbus previously said the cost to re-engine the A320 is $1.32 billion (€1 billion). This also represents only the airframe cost, Airbus tells Flightglobal, counting engine development separately.

Crabtree also characterised as "inaccurate" Bernstein's description about the blade-out concerns, but did not elaborate. She did not directly address the centre-of-gravity issue raised by Bernstein.

Additional reporting by Jon Ostrower

Karen CRABTREE est bien polie !