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Malaysia Airlines publishes a very sober London Heathrow flight schedule

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It is fair to say that virtually all airlines have been over-optimistic in their plans to return to the skies post coronavirus.  Realistically, I should say ‘past the first burst of coronavirus’.

Lots of plans have been announced and then shelved.  Most are now on their 2nd or 3rd wave of rescheduling.

Malaysia Airlines has decided to bite the bullet.  It has published a very depressing schedule but, having chatted to the team last week, a realistic one.  They also believe that it is easier to add additional flights back if they have gone too far rather than open flights which have to be cancelled later.

Malaysia Airlines publishes a very sober London Heathrow flight schedule

Historically Malaysia Airlines has run 14 flights per week to London Heathrow.  The current schedule is:

  • May 2020 – no flights
  • June 2020 – no flights
  • July 2020 – three flights per week
  • August 2020 – three flights per week
  • September 2020 – five flights per week
  • October 2020 – five flights per week

Similar cuts have taken place to other destinations from Kuala Lumpur, so onward connections will also be restricted until at least September.

You can see the full schedule on this page of the Malaysia Airlines website.

Note that there are a couple of April flights running from London (21st April, 28th April) for anyone who needs to travel home.  These can be booked on the airline website.

Let’s hope the airline is running a fuller schedule for the Winter season, which starts in late October.  Here is our review of Malaysia Airlines Business Class and here is our review of Malaysia Airlines Business Suite (First Class) if you want to remind yourself of what they offer.


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Comments (87)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Dominic Barrington says:

    MH is behaving disgracefully in terms of refunding cancelled flights. I had set up a substantial holiday plan for August, involving one one-way flight DPS/KUL on 18 Aug. MH has announced it is cancelled because of the pandemic. It has no other flights between Bali and KL that day and can offer no alternative routing. Should the holiday go ahead (obviously highly questionable), it would be the only day we could make this journey. And MH is refusing a refund and only offering a credit note. I think they have ceased to be a trustworthy airline, and despite their OW identity, I will not be using them again.

    • Kev 85 says:

      “ People have an emotional attachment to airlines”

      I found this a bit odd on that link. Do they? (I’m not saying they don’t, as I don’t know either way, but having an emotion attachment to an airline is weird)

      • Callum says:

        This site alone is proof of that. Just look at the thousands upon thousands of posts from people personally offended by trivial things airlines do as if they’re being betrayed by a close friend!

        I also don’t remember other people taking such a keen interest in who the CEO of the company they’re using is, let alone attempting to analyse every step they take and targeting them personally if the company ever does anything they disagree with.

        • ChrisC says:

          It happens with football cluns and fans demanding (and holding protests)

          get rid of the owners

          we need a new manager

          we need to sell X player

          we need to but Y players

      • Gavin says:

        I remember someone saying they were “heartbroken” by the BA 2015 devaluation, which struck me as an odd comment at the time!

      • Mr(s) Entitled says:

        It is weird. It afflicts a few HfP readers (of which there are many) but a high percentage of those who comment.

        • Kev 85 says:

          I’ve seen that more as an emotional attachment to saving a bit of cash/getting something they wouldn’t have otherwise got rather than an emotional attachment to an airline

        • BJ says:

          QR Syndrome…a childish propensity to overvalue small things and small differences, and a compulsion to play follow my leader.

        • Lady London says:

          Guilty as charged.

      • Trevor B says:

        Much of the phraseology in that article is very strange. I suggest the writer does not have British English as their first language.

      • Doug M says:

        Virgin passengers certainly do, many are more like disciples than customers.

        • Kev 85 says:

          “ Virgin passengers certainly do, many are more like disciples than customers”

          Isn’t that because they think they’re getting a good service etc? (I’ve never flown with Virgin so I can’t say whether I think they’re right or wrong)

          It’s not like, say, football supporters who watch their team regardless of if they’re winning or losing/boring to watch.

          • Rob says:

            Indeed. They aren’t doing it because of the amazing route network or BMI Diamond Club-style frequent flyer programme. You rarely see this in big brand travel …. Starwood had it, Hyatt still does, but that’s about it.

        • Doug M says:

          I think there is a big dollop of fan in it. They overlook things because they believe VS are somehow like family. As another sporting analogy, they remind me a lot of Lance Armstrong fans, pick and choose your facts.

        • The Savage Squirrel says:

          Well give some credit to the marketing team then – that’s a classic case of how a brand works and how to build a strong one and the value in having one – it’s the reason that something as completely ephermal and physically nonexistent as a brand can become worth billions. For another classic case … see Apple.

          Having written that must make me a Virgin disciple :D. There are more sensible reasons to like them of course. They can fly me direct from the north of England to multiple destinations in North America that nobody else can – those saying that them going under wouldn’t affect the overall availability of routes/seats clearly are not located north of Birmingham….

        • BJ says:

          Awww Diamond Club…now there is something we could all feel unashamedly attached to and passionate about; better than chocolate, s*x and shopping combined 🙂

      • Jon says:

        Malaysia Airlines attracts huge brand loyalty and goodwill, at least inside Malaysia. Despite it sometimes seeming as if management is doing everything it can to destroy that. The airline is often referred to as a family, and has many fans.

        I wonder whether perhaps airlines attract emotional attachment because they are, fundamentally, people businesses? After all, your primary experience of them (after initial booking via the web site perhaps) is going to be the check-in and lounge staff, and the cabin crew. A really good experience there can drive an emotional connection maybe (or equally perhaps, a bad one can drive emotional aversion!)

        • marcw says:

          In 2009 I flew from Rome to Bali via KUL with Malaysia Airlines in economy. Back then, I wasn’t an airline enthusiast, but I found interesting their slogan “More than an airline code. MH is Malaysian Hospitality” which now I think was really well thought.

      • JohnG says:

        @Kev 85: Not to be critical of you, and I think I have a reasonably similar outlook on this as you, but arguably not forming emotional attachments is actually weirder if you look at “normal” behaviour.

        Emotion is hugely influential on memory, perception, and just about every mental process. You have a great flight and your memories of that flight are stronger and actually trigger recall of emotion when you think of them. Have a consistently good experience with a company, or at least enough positive experiences relating to them and it would be weird if you didn’t have at least some emotional connection.

        That doesn’t mean everyone will think of airlines in entirely emotional terms, but it does mean that people who have emotional connections with brands are being relatively normal rather than “weird”.

        • Kev 85 says:

          “ Have a consistently good experience with a company”

          Isn’t remembering that positive experience more of a rational rather than emotional thing?

        • JohnG says:

          @Kev85: It helps to read to the end of the sentence 😉 “weird if you didn’t have at least some emotional connection”; and no, remembering that positive experience isn’t rational as it’s just recollection of a past event. What you do based on recalling that information may or may not be rational, but it will almost certainly be influenced by emotion either way.

    • Peter K says:

      Ah, the same Dominic that wrote this yesterday, first comment on the chat thread:

      “One of the most breathtaking bits of COVID malpractice I’ve yet come across stars Malaysian”.

      • Capt Hammond says:

        Yeah, Dominic does like a bit of hyperbole ….

      • Doug M says:

        Dom is angry, it’s therapy. We all need a vent these days.

        • BJ says:

          Reminds me, some aircraft don’t have vents anymore. Helga at Austrian will be very pleased! One of my most embarrassing travel moments was being very loudly and angrily reprimanded by an Austrian FA on a flight to CAI for adjusting my air vent. She shouted at me to leave it alone, I would break it.

      • Mac D says:

        LOL

    • Tony says:

      This has scuppered me, too. We had a BKI-TPE sector booked in August. £1.4k worth of tickets and they have said voucher only, the validity of which is no use to me. Not that I’d have taken it, but they didn’t even offer a reroute through KUL.

      Paperwork ready to go in the post to the credit card company tomorrow.

  • Jon says:

    Rob, when you spoke to the team, did they give any indication of what’s driving their thinking? E.g. is the lack of flights in May and June based on their expectations of how long it will take for demand to pick up, or on their expectations of when government travel restrictions are likely to be lifted, or on any inside information / briefings etc from government?

    My sense is that we’re likely looking at late May at the earliest for easing Malaysia’s restrictions, and perhaps a lot later for the UK (maybe with a brief easing of lockdown next month that all goes horribly wrong resulting in a need for an even longer and/or stricter one through the summer…). Sorry to be pessimistic 😉 but I have very little confidence in the British government’s handling of the crisis – the contrast with Malaysia’s is stark.

    • mradey says:

      Agreed. The lockdown should a) never have happened and b) should have been lifted by now

      • Jon says:

        In Malaysia or UK? I have to disagree with you – the lockdown here in Malaysia seems to be working very well (and is a lot stricter than the UK’s). Time will tell of course, but the rate of increase in new cases here has been dropping for the last few days, and we haven’t had anything like the exponential growth that would have been expected without the lockdown. In contrast, the UK did too little too late, I would argue, and risks a much stricter extended lockdown as a result…

      • SWWT says:

        This is your opinion and you’re welcome to it, of course. But are you an epidemiologist? Do you understand how pandemics happen? Are you familiar with previous outbreaks, eg the 1918-1919 ‘flu panedemic?
        Perhaps you might like to share with us the thinking behind your assertion.If at all credible then our governments and almost every other has missed a trick.

        • Rob says:

          Sweden has had no lockdown so you can easily compare with them.

          • Kev 85 says:

            Wildly different population size and density.

          • JohnG says:

            @rob: My biggest issue with the Sweden comparison when being used to challenge restrictions is it is always done to countries in lockdown with high rates, not those with controls and low rates. South Korea is next door to the original epicentre and has 5 times the population of Sweden, yet more people died in Sweden in two days recently than have died in South Korea in total. Finland has 90% less Covid cases per head than Sweden. Denmark, Norway, Germany, and Poland which are all geographically close have lower infection and mortality rates.

            I’m not saying which countries are right, that there is a correct level of restriction, or that it would even be the same by country, but I do think any case for less restriction based purely on Sweden’s infection/death rates is weak at best. In the same way that using Australia as “proof” that restrictions work, while conveniently ignoring France, would be.

        • Jon says:

          @SWWT “ But are you an epidemiologist?”

          I’m not, no (are you?) but I am capable of looking at the data, and reading and listening to what the experts are saying, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that the British government has messed up badly (well, unless we’re happy with 250-500,000 deaths of course, but even they changed their mind on that). But as I said earlier, time will tell. But personally I’m very glad I’m in Malaysia at the moment and not the UK.

          • SWWT says:

            My response was not to your post, but to the one previous; #mradey. No, I’m not an epidemiologist but have a scientific background and have researched and listened to the opinions of many who are. If you’re interested try Peter Attia’s interview with Michael Osterholm.A v good synopsis. Also recommend John Barry who spent 7 years researching the Spanish flu pandemic.

          • Jon says:

            @SWWT: Ah, got you. Sorry, I misunderstood who your comment was directed at 🙂

        • TGLoyalty says:

          @JohnG not every country is using the same logic to report cases/deaths. But importantly the scientific community don’t yet know exactly why some people are affected more than others.

          Men are affected more than women, older people are affected more than young children (I’m not medical specialist but something to do with the way the virus attaches itself/infects cells and older people have more than younger people), certain ethnic groups are disproportionately affected, perhaps there are genetics at play.

          It’s not as simple as who has the best lockdown strategy. They may find that the lockdowns were to harsh in some countries as the population was less at risk anyway and that others under reacted to locking down certain groups of people based on the info that everyone had at the time.

          We won’t really know who did and didn’t have the best strategy for months if not years.

          • Anna says:

            I’m not a scientist but it all correlates with what I’ve read about vitamin D, i.e proven link to lower levels of respiratory tract infections, and more difficult to synthesise by older people and BME individuals living in northern countries with low levels of sunlight.

          • JohnG says:

            @TGLoyalty: Absolutely, which is exactly my point. People pointing at Sweden as proof that lockdowns are too severe aren’t basing their assertion on anything close to a robust case because it is far too complex an issue to just compare mortality between two countries and say the lower one must be because of better policies. The same is also true of people using individual countries to make cases for stronger restrictions for the same reasons.

          • J says:

            @Anna, vitamin D might play some role, but surely you can’t think that is why the UK is in such a state? The UK has failed to provide enough PPE for those that need it and has failed in terms of testing and tracing – and was too late in locking down. The German government had access to the same information in the build up to this crisis and the outcome there has been, so far, very different. There are developing countries with far less resources doing a better job – something has went seriously wrong.

          • Anna says:

            J, I was making an observation about vitamin D and its role in infection/immune responses. It’s one of many factors. I have no idea why you feel the need to jump down my throat in such an idiotic fashion.

          • J says:

            Sorry you felt that way, was not the intention at all. It just seemed a curious thing to highlight.

      • J says:

        Without a lockdown even more people would have died. But lockdown or not the UK govt can’t manage mass testing or procure PPE. Countries with a lot less resources have managed to do a lot better.

        • No lockdown for me says:

          But an effective lockdown just delays the inevitable and causes more, different harm to people than coronavirus itself.

          You could of course hide away for the next 2-3 years in the hope that a vaccine will come along.

          • J says:

            Lombardy has excellent hospitals and in terms of resource was better off than most parts of the UK but they did not lockdown soon enough and they were completely overwhelmed, the system overloaded.

          • Kev 85 says:

            Hi Mr No Lockdown for Me.

            What have you been doing whilst the rest of us have been in lockdown?

            Going to the pub?

          • No lockdown for me says:

            Not to the pub as that would be a silly risk and they’re all closed. But I have been going to garden centres and DIY stores as it is easy enough to observe social distancing then wash your hands promptly. I can’t understand the UK Govt’s logic with DIY/ garden centres – mental well being is important and gardening & DIY projects are excellent ways to use your time usefully and the actual shopping can actually be less risky than food shopping. The industry wants to re-open with strict social distancing eg marked boxes to stand in when queuing to pay, perspex spitguards to look after the cashiers etc. Closing them for no particular good reason was just part of the initial panic.

        • Kev 85 says:

          To be fair, South Korea didn’t have a lockdown and they’ve only had 300 or so deaths, despite having an initial spike of cases.

          They actually tried to control it through testing though.

          I’m not sure that’s what the poster in question was referring to though.

          • Kev 85 says:

            “ But I have been going to garden centres and DIY stores”

            Sounds wild.

          • Rob says:

            My wife has just bought a new planter and is desperate for our garden centre to reopen!

          • JohnG says:

            @Kev85: They imposed curfews in some cities and closed schools. I largely agree with your view that it was closer to no lockdown, but the resource I worked from for numbers categorised them that way. It categorises Iceland as no restrictions and although they had a hell of a spike they are now seeing almost no cases. It isn’t really an important distinction though unless you take the view that other factors weren’t important. I think it’s fair to say that broadly people credit at least some of the effectiveness of South Korea’s response with how rapidly it began that response, that it had incredibly localised outbreaks, how effective it was at contact tracing, providing extensive testing etc.

            Had South Korea’s initial response been more like our own would they have been able to avoid greater restrictions? My own view is it is unlikely, primarily because have had 10s of thousands of infections before taking it seriously, instead of perhaps a few dozen; but I am open to a more informed case that they could have.

          • memesweeper says:

            @rob

            Seeds and compost are available from Wilko, who are open 🙂

      • Bonglim says:

        People are missing the point in the lockdown – it is not to prevent Coronavirus spread – it is to:
        1 – Allow those with severe coronavirus to have access to hospital and intensive care beds – something that has not been possible in New York State and Lombardy. – who have more beds/ itu beds then the uk.

        2 – Allow those with other acute health problems access care – at least as much as possible. For example if you break a hip at home- you would expect an operating theatre, expect a HDU bed if needed and expect your surgeon to be wearing a fluid resistant sterile gown that has not been used before. Even with the spreading out – the gowns might not be available if you break a hip over the next couple of days. Which is ridiculous. All of those issues are much worse if you don’t contain the spread of the virus.

        I totally agree there are issues with poor economic performance. There is almost a direct link to health outcomes. But the argument that far far fewer restrictions would have been fine just underestimates the excellent work that the health system has done in the time gained by restrictions.

        • J says:

          Exactly +1

        • SWWT says:

          Actually, lockdown is so intended to inhibit spread. The rate of infection of the population is critical to the health service’s ability to manage. Lockdown very significantly lowers the infection rate. Your points 1) and 2) are valid but are consequences of a low(er) infection rate.
          There is a very big difference (to the health service’s capacity to manage) in having 1,000 infected patients present in one day v presenting over 10 days.

          But this is all beside the point of this thread…..

    • Rob says:

      Doesn’t seem to be too impacted by the Malaysian Government, although they do a lot of transfer traffic and are reliant on Langkawi etc connections which the Government may be keener to stop to cut domestic travel. And, of course, if the Government severely restricts incoming traffic the airline is stuffed regardless.

      • Jon says:

        Ah ok. I was wondering whether the lack of flights in May / June might indicate they expect the lockdown (or at least the border controls) to continue that far ahead… At the moment, no foreigners can enter Malaysia (except for holders of certain work/residency/diplomatic visas, I believe) and everyone who does enter (including Malaysians) has to spend two weeks in quarantine. Malaysians are not allowed to leave the country either (airline crew exempted, presumably! 😉 So aside from repatriation flights, demand presumably won’t pick up until those restrictions are lifted (currently scheduled for April 28th, but I imagine that will be extended). If Malaysia Airlines isn’t planning any ex-UK flights until July, that might perhaps indicate a fairly long extension is expected… Any idea what BA has planned for it’s LHR-KUL flights?

  • Hugo says:

    Another one for Malaysia here – I have been shocked how bad their service is. They cancel flights to the extent that a destination is not served that day and then say that refunds are not possible. Luckily I could change my itinerary if it happens at all. Their terms and conditions are badly worded and allow them to get away with this. Not sure if AirAsia is much better but their seems to be more leeway in their terms and conditions

    • Sam G says:

      AirAsia also not giving cash refunds and it’s the same story throughout Asia (Singapore Airlines only changed their policy recently) – we are lucky we have the EU protections in the UK. If you used a CC then you could go down the chargeback / S.75 route.

      I have KLM flights (Singapore-Denpasar so non EU) and AirAsia cancelled – both expensive tickets that I’m being left with credits for. KLM isn’t too bad – can use on various group airlines or they’ll refund in a year and I have a use in mind, but AirAsia is no use to me. Going to try my travel insurance, though I’ve seen some UK insurers are saying credit is acceptable and they won’t pay out.

      • Jon says:

        There is much talk at the moment of a possible merger between Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia. Can’t see it happening myself, and if it does, I doubt it will succeed, and will unravel quickly, but the Malaysian government is apparently giving it serious consideration. Stupid idea in my opinion, but I suppose stupid ideas are rarely a barrier to government actions, the world over.

        • Sam G says:

          I think it could happen and it’s sensible if done right – i.e. a takeover by the AirAsia cost base, finally dump the A380 etc. The days of Malaysian Airlines being a meaningful world player/full service alliance carrier are long over. Malaysia is already connected to the world by plenty of full service options – Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar, BA etc. So the local carrier will be better to focus on efficiently serving the domestic and regional market which AirAsia does very well already. The AirAsiaX business hard product actually is not bad, it’s a flat bed, could easily improve the soft product and it would be pretty good (and competitive at the right price).

          • BJ says:

            I also think it is possible but if it does I still expect MH will survive as a full service carrier run by AirAsia. I can see it focussing only on key business destinations. However, were these then to widely codeshare with the AirAsia and AirAsiaX network it would likely be the strongest carried in Asia and prove a major headache for CX and SQ.

          • Jon says:

            Could be. But politically I can’t see that being acceptable – national pride etc. And I can’t see how the two airlines would work together – completely differently business models, cultures, brand values, service standards, customer base / target demographics etc etc. Perhaps an analogy might be Ryanair merging with British Airways? My take is that the *only* viable role for Malaysia Airlines really is flying international routes as the national flag carrier – projecting ‘brand Malaysia’ to the world etc. Cede the domestic and some regional routes to AirAsia and stop trying to compete with them on price and racing to the bottom. I can’t honestly see a merger achieving that end – although sadly I can see the government wanting to try 😉

          • CV3V says:

            I can’t see a merger of MAS and Air Asia working, purely down the the cultural differences between the 2 companies, they are not compatible. MAS will also have to consider what it does with Firefly. Routes in Asia will open up quicker than to the west, and both airlines will be able to resume regional flights. Also need to consider is it a merger of Air Asia Malaysia only, and not Air Asia Thailand, Air Asia Indonesia, X, which seem to operate within the group but are they separate companies?

      • Charlieface says:

        KLM is an EU airline so EC261 would apply worldwide in any direction

  • Peter K says:

    No chat thread today Rob?

  • Mark says:

    Thanks re my first years bag, I bought one when you first mentioned it for my new born. Sadly he couldn’t use it for his flirts flight that was booked for April – but hopefully Aug / Sept flights – fingers crossed!

    • Sandra B says:

      +1 and my grandson excited and thinks he’s off to Greece soon. Like you, fingers crossed for September but to be honest there’s more chance of a heatwave here in the west of Scotland.

  • Riccatti says:

    Malaysia Airlines timetable has to do with the fact that the country can shut down its border AND airport transit on 24-hour notice.

    But this ‘flight voucher’ fiasco — the airlines really shooting themselves in the foot. Have they expected that people sit and not raise chargeback/S75/small claims?

    Now and for a long time credit providers will hold their funds/provisions, and essentially classifying airlines as unreliable Merchants, amplifying the problem.

    Plus, the stupidity of the idea of Fuel Surcharge, because its theoretical purpose is to hedge fuel cost in advance — which is now at a big loss. If fuel cost rise, then raise the dynamic price of tickets and people will travel less. This is how hand of market supposed to self-adjust.

    • Kev 85 says:

      “ Have they expected that people sit and not raise chargeback/S75/small claims?”

      Yes and they’re probably right. Outside of people who use websites like this one and money saving expert etc are even aware of section 75?

      • pauldb says:

        S75 only pays out for breach of contract. If an airline goes bust or reneges on EU261 it’s clear cut and the credit card company will refund you and withhold the money from the airline.

        MH seem to be relying on the force majeure clause in their conditions of carriage that allows them to suspend the usual “full refund or rebooking offered if cancelled” term. It still requires them to assist you as best they can. I think it’s clear they can assist you by refunding you; this clause is really to give them breathing space to reroute you in more typical act-of-nature no-flying circumstances.

        Nevertheless credit companies aren’t likely to take decisions on grey areas like this about breach of contract. If they do an s75 refund, MH will dispute this and still want their money, so the cost could stay with the card company. This is very different to offsetting the cost against they money they owe to a bust Thomas Cook who have no legal comeback.

        So ultimately the CoCs and S75 only offer you the legal avenue to take MH or the credit card company to court. You might well win but this hassle will thin out the number of claims and refunds they have to fight, and will delay the payouts which will help their crisis cash management.

        • Charlieface says:

          Well no, Thomas Cook also has that in their T&Cs, and going bust is definitely force majeure, only EC261 trumps that. It may not help because it’s probably an unfair contract term. So the credit card company would still try to claim the money through the courts, if not by withholding payments, especially if it was a large sum of a lot of customers.

          • pauldb says:

            Going bust is not force majeure: it’s not an unavoidable external hit. And even so TC would be in breach by not fulfilling any force majeure requirement still in place in such a clause.

            Yes the term might be unfair, and yes the cc company would likely get the money back through the courts. But they payout s75 without contest only when it’s clear the consumer will win, not where it’s grey and they are taking more than a tiny risk of unnecessarily carrying the cost themselves.

      • Dubious says:

        S75 is a UK law. Malaysia Airlines will be expecting people from many other countries not to have such protection, just like the part of the world they are based.

    • ML says:

      Hm, so I got a voucher from BA for a flight to Singapore i couldn’t take due to covid restrictions on the 25th of March (as far as i know, the flight did go ahead), return mid April (this was was cancelled). I thought a voucher was reasonable since the initial leg of the flight did go ahead. Do I have a leg to stand on to request a refund instead of a voucher then?

      • Rob says:

        If your return was not cancelled when you requested the voucher then No.

  • Louie says:

    Do Malaysian ever release more than one award ticket per flight in Business Class on the LHR route?

  • Geoff says:

    Got the backpack for my grandson and he loves it. You can have it sent direct to an alternative address. Sizewise, it is about right, maybe sartorially slightly large, for him at 18 months.
    Not sure that it is a Coronavirus-inspired sale or because it is is logo’d up for BA 100, so last year’s stock.

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