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Alstom Delivers Last Jazz Train of the Trenitalia Contract

Out of Alstom’s factory in Savigliano (CN) perfectly on time, the last “Jazz” train, the 136th for the Campania Region, will soon be in passenger service. To celebrate the end of the deliveries, Marco della Monica, Director of the Regional Passenger Division of Trenitalia Piemonte, Michele Viale, General Director of Alstom in Italy, Davide Viale, Site Managing Director of Alstom of Savigliano, who were joined by Jazz and Pop teams both of Alstom and Trenitalia.

“Jazz” is a successful project the one of with trains circulating in 11 Italian regions, from Trentino to Sicily, a fleet of 136 Alstom trains of the Coradia family, which will soon be joined by over 150 Coradia Stream “Pop”. They are the new single deck regional trains in Alstom’s Coradia family, part of the framework agreement signed in August 2016 with the Italian railway operator. The first three Pop, out of a total of 47 trains destined for Emilia Romagna, have already been in passenger service since 14 June. Deliveries of Pop will continue at a fast pace till 2020.

The “Jazz” and “Pop” trains are part of a plan to renew regional transport and are already revolutionizing commuter travel. The trains, are multiple electric units (EMU), can travel at a maximum speed of 160 km per hour and have an entrance to the carriages “flush” with the pavement, which facilitates the passenger climb. They meet environmental sustainability criteria and 95% Jazz and 97% POP are recyclable, which also guarantees 30% more energy savings than the previous generation. Many services on board: video surveillance system, internal screens visible from every point of the train for passenger’s information, sound system, braille messages, 220 V power sockets for mobile phones and laptops.

“Over the past 15 years, more than 400 regional trains have been designed, produced and put into commercial service by Alstom in Italy, including the 136 Jazz of which today we have completed the production. To these figures we will gradually add the 150 Pop: the first vehicles already in passenger service in the Emilia Romagna region last June. We are proud to support Trenitalia in the public transport rail revolution and to work for the Italian regions, for passengers, for citizens”, Michele Viale, General Manager of Alstom in Italy declared.

The “Jazz” and the “Pop” trains are designed and manufactured by Alstom in Italy. Project development, production and certification are managed by the Alstom site in Savigliano (CN), a center of excellence for regional trains, with the support of Sesto San Giovanni (MI) for traction systems and auxiliary converters, and Bologna for on-board train signaling systems.

Bombardier Wins Order to Supply 12 Commuter Trains for Adelaide, Australia

  • Adelaide’s electric multiple unit trains, manufactured locally by Bombardier, were the first electric trains to operate in South Australia

Mobility solution provider Bombardier Transportation has received a contract variation from the Government of South Australia for 12 three-car A-City electric multiple unit (EMU) trains. This latest order will increase Bombardier’s fleet of A-City EMUs to a total of 34 trains and provide a much-needed capacity increase on Adelaide’s suburban rail network.

Wendy McMillan, President, South East Asia and Australia Region, Bombardier Transportation, said, “Since 2005, Bombardier has been supporting Adelaide’s mobility needs with its diesel and electric commuter trains and this contract variation is another huge endorsement of our workforce and the quality of the products designed, built and maintained here in Australia.” She added, “We are proud to deepen our long-term partnership in this important market, built on a strong track record of delivery performance, best-in-class rail technology and value-adding long-term solutions; which has laid the foundation to further support South Australian Government’s great efforts to meet a higher demand for public transport that will ensure the comfort and ease of every passenger’s journey.”

Bombardier is the only rail manufacturer in Australia with the ability and capacity to singlehandedly manufacture trains and trams in Australia. We have industrial design, engineering, manufacturing, maintenance and rail signalling teams based in Australia which allows us to maintain the highest level of local content across the majority of our projects.

Bombardier has been delivering Adelaide DMU’s from 2005 and since 2011, our Dandenong facility in Victoria, Australia is involved in delivering the Adelaide A-City EMU fleet. Our local engineers have developed an in-depth knowledge of Adelaide’s rail network over these years, information which enabled Bombardier to propose the most efficient and network-friendly EMU solution which has resulted in high reliability and availability of trains, reduced operational cost and increased performance.

These three-car trains, operating on Seaford and Gawler Line, can accommodate 240 seated passengers as well as up to 300 standees, can provide premium passenger comfort and are equipped to handle Adelaide’s hot summers. These environmentally-friendly trains have generated more than 200 local jobs, achieved high local content from almost zero when we started in Dry Creek to more than 60% today, which has created a robust supply-chain in Australia, enhanced local talent pools with skills development and training programs and developed critical asset management capabilities for Australia’s rail industry.

The Adelaide A-City EMU trains won Bombardier a Good Design Award at the 2015 Australian International Design Awards. Bombardier has been investing in Australia for more than 70 years. As a trusted rail industry partner with over 1,000 employees, Bombardier designs, engineers, manufactures and maintains rolling stock across Australia, along with providing signalling, rail equipment, asset management and through-life support to customers and operators.

This latest order will increase Bombardier’s fleet of A-City EMUs to a total of 34 trains.

Bombardier Delivers Final B-series Trains to Perth, Australia

  • Bombardier has supplied and maintained 78 B-series Electric Multiple Units over the last 15 years for Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority (PTA) in a joint venture with Downer EDI

Mobility solution provider Bombardier Transportation announced today that its Australian joint venture with Downer EDI, known as EDI Rail Bombardier Transportation Pty Ltd, is celebrating the final delivery of the B-Series Electric Multiple Unit trains for Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority (PTA). This occasion, which relates to the contract signed in 2016 for 30 additional railcars, was commemorated with an acceptance ceremony for the final train at the Nowergup Rail Depot which was attended by Rita Saffioti, Minister of Transport, Planning and Lands, Western Australia and Elwyn Gearon, General Manager, Transperth Train Operations.

Wendy McMillan, President, South East Asia and Australia region said, “We are very proud to complete the delivery of the B-Series EMU train fleet to the full satisfaction of PTA and providing a comfortable and reliable transport solution for over 60 million commuters every year.” She added, “Bombardier and PTA have worked together for over 30 years and we will continue as long-term partners on local initiatives including development of skilled and sustainable jobs, building a strategic supplier base, enhancing engineering capabilities and offering new technologies and expertise to the important Western Australia mobility ecosystem.”

The 15-year journey for Perth’s B-series train sets included the design, assembly and maintenance by the Bombardier Joint Venture (JV) in Australia. The trains have been manufactured at Downer’s facility in Maryborough, Queensland, with electrical pre-assembly work undertaken by Bombardier at its Australian manufacturing facility in Dandenong, Victoria. With an initial order of 31 three car trainsets, the first train entered service in 2004 and the final delivery will now see a total of 78 EMU trains in service. The Bombardier JV will also continue to provide Fleet Maintenance services to PTA for Transperth’s A- and B- series train fleets until 2026 and employ over 130 people across three sites including Nowergup, which manages the maintenance of the entire B-Series fleet.

The B- series EMU platform has been locally designed by Bombardier in Australia. This latest delivery adds to the more than 1,200-strong EMU vehicle fleet of various designs already operating at high reliability and availability delivered across Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia by Bombardier over the past 40 years.

Bombardier has been investing in Australia for more than 70 years. As a trusted rail industry partner with over 1,000 employees, Bombardier designs, engineers, manufactures and maintains rolling stock across Australia, along with providing signalling, rail equipment, asset management and through-life support to customers and operators.

About Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation is a global mobility solution provider leading the way with the rail industry’s broadest portfolio. It covers the full spectrum of solutions, ranging from trains to sub-systems and signalling to complete turnkey transport systems, e-mobility technology and data-driven maintenance services. Combining technology and performance with empathy, Bombardier Transportation continuously breaks new ground in sustainable mobility by providing integrated solutions that create substantial benefits for operators, passengers and the environment. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Bombardier Transportation employs around 40,650 people and its products and services operate in over 60 countries.

Virgin Atlantic In, IAG Out in Race for Thomas Cook Airlines

LONDON (Reuters) – The chief executive of British Airways owner IAG ruled out bidding for Thomas Cook’s airline unit on Friday, a day after rival Virgin Atlantic was reported to be interested in part of the business.

Lufthansa and private equity fund Indigo Partners are seen among the front-runners for Thomas Cook’s airlines after the firm put it up for sale in February, to raise cash after a string of profit warnings in 2018.

IAG had previously been linked with the business, but on Friday, Chief Executive Willie Walsh said that his firm had not made a bid.

“In relation to Thomas Cook… we’re not putting in any bid,” Walsh told reporters.

He added in an analyst call later in the day that the firm was not actively pursuing M&A at the moment but was in a strong position to do so if something attractive came up.

Virgin Atlantic has put in a preliminary offer for the tour operator’s UK long-haul business, Sky News reported on Thursday. Thomas Cook and Virgin Atlantic both declined to comment on the report.

Lufthansa is a bidder for Thomas Cook’s German airline Condor with an option to acquire the remaining airlines of the British travel group, Lufthansa’s CEO said on Tuesday.

Indigo Partners is also a likely suitor for Thomas Cook’s airline business, sources said last week, adding that the deadline for initial bids was on Tuesday earlier this week.

An unexpectedly warm summer in northern Europe last year deterred holiday makers from booking lucrative last minute getaways, resulting in two major profit warnings for the world’s oldest travel company.

Worries about the firm’s ability to pay its debts pushed the yield on its euro-denominated bonds that mature in 2022 to a record high last Friday, and Thomas Cook said later in the day that it was in talks with its lenders about bolstering its finances.

Thomas Cook’s half-year earnings release for the six months to March 31 is due next Thursday.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Keith Weir)

Piaggio Invites Submissions for Expression of Interest (EOI)

Commissioner Vincenzo Nicastro: “We want to begin exploring the demand in the market to better understand those who are currently potentially interested”.

The Extraordinary Commissioner of Piaggio Aerospace, Vincenzo Nicastro, wants to implement an initial analysis in order to evaluate the market’s interest in buying the company or one of its business units (Aircraft and Engines) or to conduct a reorganization, in accordance with the “Marzano Law”.

Piaggio Aerospace (in Extraordinary Receivership since last December) published today a paid notice in a selected number of financial newspapers after authorization from the Ministry of Economic Development. A copy of the announcement can be found at www.piaggioaeroas.it, where a short presentation of the company is also available.

“The goal of this action,” declares Nicastro, “is to better understand who the interested candidates are as a way to evaluate their characteristics in order to maintain business continuity for Piaggio Aerospace, thus moving forward with subsequent initiatives according to the law”.

In particular, the Aircraft business unit focuses on the design, construction and maintenance of civil and military aircraft, along with customer service activities. The Engine business unit revolves around the design, construction and maintenance of aero-engines.

During a meeting held in Rome on April 24, 2019, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Defence agreed on a plan to support Piaggio Aerospace business activities.

The Italian Government indicates the goal on Piaggio Aerospace to conduct all engine maintenance out of one single hub, confirming Piaggio Aerospace as a reliable partner in this specific field. The plan also foresees new contracts for the engine maintenance with a ten-year plan; a contract for the retrofitting of nineteen P.180-Avanti operated by various Italian Institutions and the purchase of ten new P.180-Avanti.

Finally, the plan also includes the completion of the P.1HH HammerHead (the Unmanned Aerial System) certification process, along with the subsequent acquisition of two systems and the development of further technology to support Piaggio Aerospace to compete in the international market arena. Each system is made out of a Ground Control Station and two aircraft. More systems would be acquired in the medium- term.

All EOI, which are non-binding, should be sent (in English or Italian) to the Extraordinary Commissioner by 6 pm CEST on Wednesday, May, 15, 2019 via email at piaggioaeroamministrazionestraordinaria2@pec.piaggioaero.it.

PIAGGIO AERO P.180 AVANTI II
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Bombardier To Create Single Aviation Division

MONTREAL (Reuters) – Canada’s Bombardier Inc said on Thursday it would unite its corporate and regional jet-making units into a single aviation division, as it continues focusing on its strongest businesses while shedding aerostructure facilities in Belfast and Morocco.

The announcement comes ahead of an annual general meeting later in the day, where the plane and train maker is expected to face questions from investors on whether its turnaround plan is still on track as its transportation unit grapples with delayed rail contracts.

Investors were rattled last week when Bombardier cut its first-quarter and full-year revenue targets for the transportation division, its largest unit, raising concerns over whether it will still meet its 2020 targets of boosting margins and generating $20 billion (£15 billion) in revenue.

Bombardier on Thursday posted first-quarter revenue and profit, in line with revised expectations issued a week ago, when it sharply cut estimates for full-year profit and revenue.

It had slashed its full-year transportation revenue forecast by almost 8 percent to about $8.75 billion.

The company said in a statement it was making progress toward completing five long-term rail projects that have been marred in some cases by delivery delays and production problems, but these would take a few more quarters for completion.

Bombardier’s planned sale of its Belfast wing and structure-making operation, the largest high-tech manufacturer in Northern Ireland which employs 3,600, stunned workers who called on the British government to retain jobs.

A separate facility which produces aeronautical-equipment in Morocco will also be sold.

Under Chief Executive Alain Bellemare, Bombardier has been selling off businesses, including the money-losing Q400 turboprop program, to focus on more profitable units like rail and corporate jets.

The rail division, which is expected to generate $10 billion next year, is crucial to Bombardier’s five-year turnaround plan, after heavy investment in aircraft production drove it to the brink of bankruptcy in 2015.

Besides creating a single aviation division headed by business aircraft president, David Coleal, the company said it will consolidate its five aerostructures businesses to focus on facilities in Montreal, Mexico and its newly acquired Global 7500 business jet wing operations in Texas.

Bombardier’s commercial aircraft president Fred Cromer will continue to lead efforts as the company weighs the future of its money-losing regional jet program.

Some investors have questioned Bombardier’s credibility in revising its financial guidance after a recent debt raise.

“The concern, particularly after the March debt raise, is whether management remains committed to its longer term 2020 guidance,” said Toronto-based AltaCorp analyst Capital Chris Murray by email.

“We expect that during that process, the company had reiterated prior 2019 guidance, which it changed last week, adding to concern on the part of bondholders.”

A Bombardier spokesman declined to comment and said management would address questions at the meeting.

Bombardier said it continues to expect full-year free cash flow to be breakeven, plus or minus $250 million, as Global 7500 aircraft and key transportation project deliveries are expected to accelerate in the second half of the year.

Adjusted core earnings rose by $1 million to $266 million in the three months to March 31, while revenue fell 13 percent to $3.52 billion.

(Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal. Additional reporting by Arathy Nair in Bengaluru and Fergal Smith in Toronto; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Bernadette Baum)

FILE PHOTO: Logo of Bombardier is seen at an office building in Zurich, Switzerland February 28, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Textron Profit Beats on Higher Aircraft Sales

FILE PHOTO: Cessna employee works on an engine of a Cessna business jet at the assembly line in their manufacturing plant in Wichita, Kansas March 12, 2013. REUTERS/Jeff Tuttle

(Reuters) – Cessna business jet maker Textron Inc reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday, benefiting from robust aircraft deliveries, sending its share up 1.6 percent in early trading.

Business jet demand has been growing steadily in the United States, the world’s biggest market, on the back of an expanding economy and rising corporate profits.

Textron said it delivered 44 jets in the first quarter ended March 30, up from 36 last year. Commercial turboprop deliveries rose to 44 aircraft from 29 last year.

“We think this quarter has pretty much ticked all the boxes for Textron. Aviation growth has continued, with a positive book to bill in the quarter,” Vertical Research Partners analyst Robert Stallard said.

Textron has faced delays in final certification of its newest super mid-size Longitude jet, which is expected to contribute a ‘big chunk’ to the company’s revenue growth in 2019.

Analysts have warned that the certification delays from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration due to partial government shutdown followed by the regulator’s intense focus on re-certifying Boeing Co’s 737 MAX aircraft might impact sales growth at the company in the short.

Though the aviation business was among the drivers for a profit beat, Textron’s revenue missed Wall Street estimates, hurt by lower sales in its systems unit, which makes tactical armored patrol vehicles.

Textron re-affirmed its full-year profit outlook range of $3.55 to $3.75 per share.

Sales in the company’s aviation business, its biggest, rose 12.3 percent to $1.13 billion in the first quarter, while sales in the systems unit fell more than 20 percent to $307 million.

The company’s net income fell to $179 million in the quarter ended March 30 from $189 million a year earlier.

Textron earned 76 cents per share, above analysts’ average estimate of 68 cents, according to Refinitiv data.

Textron’s revenue fell 5.7 percent to $3.11 billion, below analysts’ estimates of $3.17 billion.

(Reporting by Divya R and Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

Pratt & Whitney Delivers GT PW1900G Engines for Embraer

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (UTX), and Embraer celebrated delivery of the GTF™ PW1900G production engines for the E195-E2 aircraft at Embraer’s E2 final assembly line in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil. The E195-E2 is expected to enter into service in the second half of 2019 with Azul Brazilian Airlines.

“We are excited to receive the GTF production engines for the initial serial production of the E195-E2, as we know firsthand the advantages that these engines provide to our customers and the environment,” said Fernando Antonio Oliveira, Embraer’s E2 Program Director.

Embraer’s E190-E2 aircraft, which is also powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1900G engine, entered service in April 2018 with Widerøe, followed by Air Astana in December 2018.

“Delivering the first production engines for the E195-E2 is an important milestone for the program,” said Graham Webb, vice president of Commercial Engine Programs at Pratt & Whitney. “We look forward to continuing to work together to support Embraer’s second GTF-powered E2 aircraft model.”

In addition to being selected as the exclusive propulsion system for the E2 commercial aircraft, Pratt & Whitney’s APS2600E auxiliary power unit (APU) is the sole-sourced APU for the E2 family. The APS2600E APU gives airlines greater flexibility, by increasing the altitude ceiling for ETOPS and other operations, and providing a significant increase in electrical power delivery to meet the needs of today’s airlines.

The E195-E2 aircraft has more than 24% reduction in fuel burn per seat than the previous-generation E195, with NOx emissions 50% below the ICAO CAEP/6 regulation and 19dB to 20dB of ICAO Chapter 4 cumulative noise margin.

About Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines, and auxiliary power units. United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit its website at www.utc.com, or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in levels of demand in the aerospace industry, in levels of air travel, and in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production support, performance and realization of the anticipated benefits of advanced technologies (including our expected returns under customer contracts); as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corp.’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Thomas Cook Enlists 3 Banks to Prepare Airline Sale

LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Thomas Cook has enlisted Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch to explore the possible sale of its airline business, a source familiar with the discussions said.

The holiday company this month said it was willing to sell its profitable airline business to fund its fightback from losses racked up in 2018.

Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch declined to comment.

Thomas Cook’s airline, which fared much better last year than the tour operator business, consists of Germany’s Condor and British, Scandinavian and Spanish divisions.

A sale of the airline unit, in whole or in part, would enable the company to invest more in its own hotels, improve its digital sales offering and drive further cost savings.

One banker said the enterprise value of the airline would be around 500-600 million pounds, a little more than the current market value of the whole company.

He added that Lufthansa, Ryanair and easyJet were all vying for bits of the airline business, but that no one wanted the whole unit, and that Thomas Cook had an ageing fleet which would need a massive investment programme to replace it.

Ryanair’s marketing chief said on Thursday that the Irish airline was not interested in any large-scale acquisitions but could vie for airport slots should they become available.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout Additional reporting by Pamela Barbaglia and Clara Denina in London and Arno Schuetze and Ilona Wissenbach in Frankfurt; Editing by David Goodman and Kirsten Donovan)

Boeing and Safran Announce Initium Aerospace APU Joint Venture

CHICAGO and PARIS, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Safran [EPA: SAF] today announce the name of their 50-50 joint venture to design, build and service Auxiliary Power Units (APUs): Initium Aerospace.

From its Latin roots, initium means ‘the beginning’ or ‘to start.’ This is what an APU is and does when it provides the power to start the main aircraft engines and systems on the ground and, if necessary, in flight. Initium Aerospace starts with Boeing’s customer and airplane knowledge and Safran’s experience designing and producing complex propulsion systems.

“This is an exciting milestone as we bring together the best of both companies to design and build an advanced APU that will create more lifecycle value for our customers,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO, Boeing Global Services. “This is further proof that Boeing is making strategic investments that strengthen our vertical capabilities and continue to expand our services portfolio.”

The creation of Initium Aerospace follows the regulatory and antitrust approvals the joint venture received last November, after an agreement was reached in June.

“I would like to congratulate everybody at Boeing and Safran who contributed to the creation of this new joint venture,” said Philippe Petitcolin, CEO of Safran. “Initium Aerospace is swiftly capitalizing on the vast expertise of both partners to provide state-of-the-art APUs and innovative solutions to customers. Safran is proud and totally invested in supporting Boeing’s growth and operators expectations. We look forward to presenting the first demonstrator engine to the market.”

The initial team consists of employees from the two parent companies and is led by Etienne Boisseau, CEO of Initium Aerospace. Initial work is being done in San Diego, California, where they are focused on the next-generation APU design as well as collaborating with teams across Boeing and Safran on engineering and production.

Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aircraft propulsion and equipment, space and defense markets. Safran has a global presence, with more than 58,000 employees and sales of 16.5 billion euros in 2017. Working alone or in partnership, Safran holds world or European leadership positions in its core markets. Safran undertakes Research & Development programs to meet fast-changing market requirements, with total R&D expenditures of around 1.4 billion euros in 2017. Safran is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange, and is part of the CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 indices.

In February 2018, Safran took control of Zodiac Aerospace, significantly expanding its aircraft equipment activities. Zodiac Aerospace has 32,500 employees and generated sales of 5.1 billion euros for its fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial airplanes and defense, space and security systems. Boeing is also the world leader in combined commercial airlines and government services with customers in more than 150 countries. The company’s products and tailored services include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems, and performance-based logistics and training. Boeing employs approximately 150,000 people across the United States and in more than 65 countries.

Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty

Certain statements in this release may be “forward-looking” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the expected timetable for completing the transaction, future business prospects, and benefits and synergies of the transaction, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions about future events that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statements speak only as of the date they are made and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Specific factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the effect of global economic conditions, the ability of the parties to consummate the transaction and receive antitrust clearance, and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in reports filed by Boeing and Safran with their respective agencies.

Story and images from http://www.boeing.com/

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