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Pakistan reopens airspace for civil aviation after nearly five months [UPDATE#127]

KARACHI: Flight operations will remain suspended for an additional 24 hours at some airports across Pakistan, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Thursday.

According to CAA, flight operations will remain suspended at Rahim Yar Khan, Sialkot, Skardu, Gilgit and Sukkur airports for another 24 hours.

Pakistan's airspace will be completely reopened on March 8 at 1pm, the aviation authority added.

CAA further said that operations at those airports where flight operations have already resumed will continue as per normal till 5am on March 15. Flight operations will run as per schedule at Chitral, Multan, Karachi, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore and Islamabad airports till 5am on March 15, CAA said.

Last week, Pakistan's aviation authority had partially resumed operations for some international and domestic flights as thousands of passengers were left stranded worldwide after Islamabad shut down air travel following escalating tensions with India.



https://www.geo.tv/latest/230315-fl...pended-for-24-more-hours-at-some-airports-caa
 
Pakistan are now officially just trolling around. ::J

VaPpEeS.png
 
My collegue's family are travelling to Chennai on Air France as we speak. The plane made a detour from over Iran, and is looping over Arabian see instead of flying over Pakistan and then going over mainland India. He was complaining about that to me :P
 
My collegue's family are travelling to Chennai on Air France as we speak. The plane made a detour from over Iran, and is looping over Arabian see instead of flying over Pakistan and then going over mainland India. He was complaining about that to me :P

You mentioned you live in Seattle, work in Microsoft and have a deep love for aviation.




My first cousin fits that exact profile. I hope you and I are not related :broad
 
You mentioned you live in Seattle, work in Amazon and have a deep love for aviation.




My first cousin fits that exact profile. I hope you and I are not related :broad

Yup, I am an AF brat. Abba & Chacha were PAF & Army Aviation respectively. Had I not been color blind, I would be wearing the blue uniform :P Also from KHI so you never know we maybe related :P
 
Yup, I am an AF brat. Abba & Chacha were PAF & Army Aviation respectively. Had I not been color blind, I would be wearing the blue uniform :P Also from KHI so you never know we maybe related :P

:broad :broad



Ok you just confirmed who you are ok. I'm not revealing anything more. :inti
 
CAA delays opening Pakistan's airspace for transit flights till March 11

Sialkot, Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur airports which were set to reopen today will remain closed till March 11 as well.

KARACHI: Pakistan's airspace will remain closed for all transit flights till March 11, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Saturday.

The CAA released a new notification as per which the opening of Pakistan's airspace has been delayed till 3pm on March 11 (Monday). In a notification a day earlier, the aviation authority had announced that transit flights will be allowed to resume operations from 3pm today.

However, the new notification stated that the airspace has been closed for all overflying flights from east to west and west to east till 3pm on March 11 while some transit flights between the north and south of Pakistan's airspace have been permitted to fly over some routes.

Further, Sialkot, Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur airports which were set to reopen today will remain closed till March 11 as well.

For entry and exit into and out of Pakistan, only specific airspace can be used, the notification added.

Airports across Pakistan where flight operations were resumed earlier this week will continue to operate as per schedule till 5am on March 15. Flight operations at Karachi, Multan, Chitral, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Faisalabad airports will run as per schedule till 5am on March 15.

Flight operations at most airports had resumed over the week, however, the reopening of the airspace nationwide had been delayed.

Pakistan had closed its airspace last week following escalating ties with India.

Flights between Asia and Europe were disrupted, stranding thousands of passengers, although airlines were later able to reroute through China many flights that normally pass over Pakistan.

Flights from Singapore to Europe that usually cross Pakistan and Afghanistan, for example, were rerouted westwards over Oman, adding more than an hour’s flying time and boosting fuel costs. Iran also saw heavier use of its airspace, officials said.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/230510-ca...ns-airspace-for-transit-flights-till-march-11
 
Situational update 09 March

Pakistan says it attempted to open one eastbound and one westbound transiting airway through Pakistani airspace between the Muscat and Mumbai FIRs (Notam A0258/19), but reciprocal connectivity was denied by Mumbai FIR (Notam A0357/19). Consequently, Muscat FIR has closed ALPOR to flights intending to transit Pakistan airspace. All relevant Notams reproduced below.

Situational update #2 08 March
Pakistan has now adjusted the estimated reopening time of its airspace for general transiting traffic to 11 March 10:00 UTC, so the airspace will remain closed through at least the weekend. Notams below.'

https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/tensions-between-india-and-pakistan-affect-air-traffic/


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Notam news —Pakistan says it attempted to open one eastbound and one westbound transiting airway through Pakistani airspace between the Muscat and Mumbai FIRs (Notam A0258/19), but reciprocal connectivity was denied by Mumbai FIR (Notam A0357/19). <a href="https://t.co/9NeSPvJkSy">https://t.co/9NeSPvJkSy</a> <a href="https://t.co/dZRfEe4JtQ">pic.twitter.com/dZRfEe4JtQ</a></p>— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) <a href="https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/1104320257479622661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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Airspace opened for all except flights going to India. They have to circumvent around Pakistan, thus adding hours to flying time and hurting flight profitability. Hitting them where it hurts. I hope we keep our airspace blocked for Modi's India.
 
We are probably losing money as well. Given the fact that airlines pay to use a country's airspace.
 
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan on Tuesday opened its airspace for all domestic and international flights after keeping it closed for 28 days because of escalation in tensions with India.

The country had partially resumed flight operations from Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta earlier this month.

Now flight operations from all airports for international and domestic routes will be resumed as per schedule, but transit flights will stay suspended.

Flight operations were suspended after Pakistan closed its airspace on Feb 27 for all international and domestic flights in the wake of the security situation.

The Civil Aviation Authority had issued notices to all airmen about the closure of the country’s airspace.

Earlier this month, Pakistan had resumed limited flight operations from Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta after closing it for about one week. Later, restricted flight operations were also allowed at the Allama Iqbal International Airport.

PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar said that after opening of the airspace on Tuesday, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed its flights on all airports of the country as its flights to and from Lahore to Islamabad PK-652, PK-651, PK-650 and PK-653 operated as per schedule. He further said that PIA flights to and from Karachi to Multan PK-580 and PK-581 would also operate according to the schedule.

The spokesman said that PIA flights to and from Karachi-Sukkur PK-536 and PK-537 would also operate as per schedule. He also said that the national flag carrier’s flights for Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and D.G. Khan had also resumed operations, but flights for Sialkot would be resumed on March 28 after repair work on the Sialkot airport’s runway was completed.

A fresh notice to airmen said that flight operations to and from following airports in Pakistan shall remain available as per operation hours from Islamabad Inter*national Airport, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad and Multan.

However, flights for Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi will not operate due to security reasons.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1472142/pakistan-opens-airspace-for-all-flights
 
Airspace opened for all except flights going to India. They have to circumvent around Pakistan, thus adding hours to flying time and hurting flight profitability. Hitting them where it hurts. I hope we keep our airspace blocked for Modi's India.
we are losing money as well but neighbours are losing more as said by [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION].
 
we are losing money as well but neighbours are losing more as said by [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION].

Neighbours are in a far better financial condition. Also Pakistani carriers have to circumvent a far larger route to get to any eastern country than India has to on the western front.

So dont know what MMHS said.
 
Air India is losing 60 crores a day. That's our tax money, mind you.

Hopefully overflight rights will resume sooner rather than later.

Also Pakistani carriers have to circumvent a far larger route to get to any eastern country than India has to on the western front.

You have no idea what you are talking about. Pakistan have a grand total of 2 flights that head East - one each to BKK and KUL. The destinations in China and Japan do not use any Indian waypoints. AI and 9W have a gargantuan 176 daily operations that need access to Pakistani airpsace in the interests of saving time and fuel.

The US non-stops are currently either berthing in Copenhagen or Sharjah. The AI 787 crews are stretched, and probably can't wait for this to end.
 
Neighbours are in a far better financial condition. Also Pakistani carriers have to circumvent a far larger route to get to any eastern country than India has to on the western front.

So dont know what MMHS said.
asked meny people and according to them pak eastern flights are negligible, most of PIA loss was due to termination of flights eathwr than using long route.
 
Air India is losing 60 crores a day. That's our tax money, mind you.

Hopefully overflight rights will resume sooner rather than later.



You have no idea what you are talking about. Pakistan have a grand total of 2 flights that head East - one each to BKK and KUL. The destinations in China and Japan do not use any Indian waypoints. AI and 9W have a gargantuan 176 daily operations that need access to Pakistani airpsace in the interests of saving time and fuel.

The US non-stops are currently either berthing in Copenhagen or Sharjah. The AI 787 crews are stretched, and probably can't wait for this to end.
Let him announcce himself with better econmy narrative again.
If India can sustain it well and good.
 
Good news..... I hope flights too and from India remain blocked till Modi begs them to be opened.



And LOL at joshila equating India's loss with Pakistan. We hardly have a flight going east wards that flies over India.

Also flights to China didn't even fly over India in the first place.
 
Neighbours are in a far better financial condition. Also Pakistani carriers have to circumvent a far larger route to get to any eastern country than India has to on the western front.

So dont know what MMHS said.

PIA has 2 routes diverting, 1 each to Bangkok and Malaysia. India has like 200 :)))
 
Pakistan have opened one transit route this morning. Air India are breathing a sigh of relief, but it's not over yet.

mGlqzYh.png
 


Reopened now I wish it had remained closed. Just today we got news that Spicejet plane going from Sharjah to Kabul was asked to turn back before entering airspace.
 
Reopened now I wish it had remained closed. Just today we got news that Spicejet plane going from Sharjah to Kabul was asked to turn back before entering airspace.

This was always going to happen tbh. The only question was when.

Pakistan went too far in curbing even transit overflights of 3rd countries (some would say, allies). For example, Turkish Airlines to Dhaka. Then of course the likes of Thai and Malindo couldn't fly to Pakistan period.

It wouldn't have lasted.
 
Airspace curbs after Indo-Pak skirmishes affecting hundreds of flights: report

WASHINGTON: Flight restrictions imposed after India-Pakistan skirmishes in February are affecting hundreds of commercial and cargo flights, says OPSGROUP, which monitors international flight operations.

In a report titled “No end in sight for Pakistan airspace restrictions,” the group calculated that the closed airspace was affecting as many as 350 flights daily. OPSGROUP made this calculation using data provided by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

A map of regional flights, made recently by the Reuters, reported that the restrictions affected at least 311 flights between four airports in Europe and four in Southeast Asia.

Pakistan continues to restrict its airspace after an airstrike in late February by the Indian military in northern Pakistan. Most of the restrictions implemented in February remain in place, effective through to May 15 at the earliest.

OPSGROUP and FlightRadar24, another flight monitoring agency, noted that the disruption is forcing “international airlines to take costly and time-consuming detours, adding flight time for passengers and fuel costs for airlines”.

Pakistan lies in the middle of a vital aviation corridor. Flights to India often pass directly over Pakistan and some come extremely close to Kashmir, where India and Pakistan engaged in air clashes in February.

FlightRadar24 named Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa and Thai Airways among the airlines whose flights fly close to Kashmir.

The Indian media reported this week that Air India has suffered losses of around Rs300 crore since late February as its long haul flights from New Delhi are taking longer to reach destinations in Europe, the Gulf and the US because of the closure of Pakistan’s airspace.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1479311/a...irmishes-affecting-hundreds-of-flights-report
 
Please never open Pak airspace for India. Let these big mouths suffer as much as possible.
 
How Pakistan's airspace ban has hit India's airlines

Airspace restrictions to fuel price
In addition to the burden of Pakistan losing its airspace after the February 26 Balakot airstrike, oil companies have now raised the price of fuel. The longer routes required to avoid flying over Pakistan are forcing airlines to burn more fuel and money. Now 2.5% more expensive, fuel for international flights will cost $700 per kilo litre in May, up from $668 last month. Pakistan’s airspace restrictions are expected to stay in place till at least
Longer the distance, higher the expense
As many as 400 flights per day are affected due to the closure of Pakistani airspace. The bulk of these, reports said, have rerouted further south to Oman airspace while already busy corridors in Iran have seen more than 100 flights added. An extra 451 kilometres is added to a flight from London to Singapore after taking the Oman route.
Air India
As the only Indian carrier that flies to Europe and the US, AI is the worst affected airline. It could lose another 100 crore this month until the ban is lifted. AI has already suffered a 372-crore hit in extra expenses and revenue lost on cancelled or curtailed flights. That’s about 6 crore daily.
Air India's (AI) nonstop flights between Delhi and the US are now taking a fuelling stop that adds about three hours to the flight length. AI is routing flights over Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and then turning over the Arabian Sea to head to Muscat and then fly to their destination. The detour adds 1.5 hours to flights to Europe and an hour to flights to Dubai
IndiGo
The airline launched its longest route Delhi-Istanbul on March 20. But instead of being a direct flight as planned, the closure of Pakistan airspace has forced it to operate with a fuelling stop, which forces IndiGo to burn an extra 2,500-3,000 kg of fuel each way, a source familiar with the matter said.
SpiceJet
The airline’s flights between Delhi and the Gulf have been affected. Its Delhi-Kabul flight has been cancelled since the closure of the airspace
https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...dias-airlines/spicejet/slideshow/69162611.cms
 
interesting
As the only Indian carrier that flies to Europe and the US, AI is the worst affected airline. It could lose another 100 crore this month until the ban is lifted. AI has already suffered a 372-crore hit in extra expenses and revenue lost on cancelled or curtailed flights. That’s about 6 crore daily.
 
How Pakistan's airspace ban has hit India's airlines

NEW DELHI: It wasn’t the extreme Delhi heat that saw Air India officials break into sweat on Wednesday. In addition to the burden of Pakistan closing its airspace after then February 26 Balakot airstrike, oil companies have now raised the price of fuel. The longer routes required to avoid flying over Pakistan are forcing airlines to burn more fuel and money. Now 2.5% more expensive, fuel for international flights will cost $700 per kilo litre in May, up from $668 last month. Pakistan’s airspace restrictions are expected to stay in place till at least May 15. TOI explains how Indian airlines have been affected.
Master.jpg

As many as 400 flights per day are affected due to the closure of Pakistani airspace. The bulk of these, reports said, have rerouted further south to Oman airspace while already busy corridors in Iran have seen more than 100 flights added.

Senior air traffic control officials say India has not suffered loss of over flying charges as the same number of planes is still operating over India while crisscrossing between the west and parts of Southeast Asia. Instead of flying over the Delhi airspace, they are now doing so over Mumbai airspace while taking the longer route.

Air India's (AI) nonstop flights between Delhi and the US are now taking a fuelling stop that adds about three hours to the flight length.

IndiGo’s Delhi-Istanbul flight is being forced to stop for fuel at Doha and Ahmedabad each way.

AI is routing flights over Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and then turning over the Arabian Sea to head to Muscat and then fly to their destination.
The detour adds 1.5 hours to flights to Europe and an hour to flights to Dubai.

Among international airlines that have been forced to reroute are Singapore Airlines, Finnair, British Airways, Aeroflot, Thai Airways

Air India
As the only Indian carrier that flies to Europe and the US, AI is the worst affected airline. It could lose another 100 crore this month until the ban is lifted. AI has already
suffered a 372-crore hit in extra expenses and revenue lost on cancelled or curtailed flights. That’s about 6 crore daily.

IndiGo
The airline launched its longest route Delhi-Istanbul on March 20. But instead of being a direct flight as planned, the closure of Pakistan airspace has forced it to operate
with a fuelling stop, which forces IndiGo to burn an extra 2,500-3,000 kg of fuel each way, a source familiar with the matter said.

SpiceJet
The airline’s flights between Delhi and the Gulf have been affected. Its Delhi-Kabul flight has been cancelled since the closure of the airspace.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-hit-indias-airlines/articleshow/69155746.cms
 
NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force fighter jets forced a Georgian cargo plane flying from Karachi to New Delhi to land in Jaipur on Friday after it allegedly violated Indian airspace.

The An-12 aircraft was intercepted by two Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets after it deviated from its scheduled flight path, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said.

“The aircraft did not follow the authorised Air Traffic Services route and was not responding to radio calls from Indian controlling agencies,” the IAF said in a statement. “The aircraft was shadowed and forced to land at Jaipur for necessary investigation.”

Hundreds of commercial and cargo flights have been affected by continuing tensions between India and Pakistan after their ***-for-tat air strikes in February.

Restrictions over Pakistani airspace have forced international airlines, including those from India, to take costly and lengthy detours.

The air strikes followed a suicide attack in India-held Kashmir that killed 40 Indian soldiers and ignited fears of an all-out conflict.

But a crisis was averted after Pakistan returned an Indian pilot who was captured after his jet was shot down.

Sources at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told Dawn that they were not officially informed by any such happening in India by the neighbouring country’s authorities, reports our staff reporter. The sources also wondered about information received through media about the details of the “Georgian cargo plane.”

“Nothing has come from India through official channel. The CAA is only aware of the details which are shared on the media,” said the sources.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1481578/indian-jets-intercept-foreign-cargo-plane-flying-from-karachi
 
Airspace closure along Indian border extended to June 15

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s airspace along its eastern border with India will remain closed until 5am on June 15, a notice issued to airmen (NOTAM) by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Wednesday.

According to the notice, Pakistani airspace will be closed until June 14 at 23.59 (UTC) universal time. There is a difference of five hours between UTC and Pakistan time.

As per a separate NOTAM issued by the CAA, the Panjgoor airspace would remain open for overflying transit flights from the western side as Air India had already been using that airspace.

Pakistan had given a special permission to India for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to fly directly though Pakistani airspace to participate in a top-level meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 21. However, the airspace for other commercial airliners remained closed.

Foreign carriers using Indian airspace have been forced to take costly detours because they cannot fly over Pakistan. The closure mainly affects flights from Europe to Southeast Asia.

Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had said that due to closure of eastern side airspace, Pakistan was suffering from less loss compared to India as Indian commercial flights had to take longer routes for Europe.

On May 15, Pakistan extended its airspace ban for flights to India till May 30 as foreign flights using Indian airspace were not allowed to cross over Pakistan till May 30.

It has been more than two and a half months since the airspace was closed for commercial flights but, there was no progress in lifting of the ban either by Pakistan or India.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1485449/airspace-closure-along-indian-border-extended-to-june-15
 
First flight via Pakistan lands in Delhi after three months

Etihad’s Abu Dhabi to New Delhi flight on Sunday evening became the first to cross into India by flying through Pakistan after a gap of more than three months since the imposition of airspace restrictions by the two countries following the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) strikes at Balakot.

Etihad Airways’ EY224 entered India from Gujarat after flying through Pakistan at 5.34 p.m., four minutes after one route between India and Pakistan was opened for flights from Pakistan, according to a senior official of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA).

The airline operated an Airbus A321 aircraft. It departed from Abu Dhabi at 3.10 p.m. and landed in New Delhi at 7 p.m. It was able to save 40 minutes in flight duration compared with the re-routed flight it has been operating due to airspace curbs, according to aviation website flightradar24.com.

Last week, India decided to lift curbs on all 11 entry and exit points for flights along its border with Pakistan.

Subsequently, a decision was taken on Saturday by Pakistan to open one route near Lakhpat in Gujarat for flights flying via its territory into India with effect from 5.30 p.m. on June 2.

Ministry officials say the rest of the points are expected to be gradually opened for flight between and through the two countries.

Early in April, Pakistan had opened one route for westward flights from India.

Pakistan closed its airspace for all flights on February 27, and India shut its airspace for flights into and from Pakistan as a reciprocal measure.

While Pakistan gradually reopened its airspace for most airlines, restrictions continued for flights entering from its eastern border after traversing India.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/inter...bs-off-after-three-months/article27406974.ece
 
Bump!

I am hearing from various news outlets that our airspace is finally open for ALL air traffic including overflights to and from India - as per NOTAM issued by the CAA.
 
Pakistan reopens airspace for civil aviation after nearly five months

Pakistan's airspace has been reopened to civil aviation with immediate effect, the Civil Aviation Authority said on Tuesday, following months of restrictions imposed in the wake of a standoff with India earlier this year.

"With immediate effect Pakistan airspace is open for all type of civil traffic on published ATS (Air Traffic Service) routes," according to a notice to airmen (NOTAMS) published on the authority's website.

An official at the authority, reached by telephone, confirmed that the change was in effect.

Pakistan had fully closed its airspace following the violation of its international boundary and airspace by Indian fighter jets on February 26. In March, it partially opened its airspace but kept it banned for the Indian flights. India had also banned its airspace for flights to Pakistan.

Earlier, Aviation Secretary Shahrukh Nusrat said: "The Indian government had asked us to open the airspace. We conveyed our concerns that first India must withdraw its fighter planes placed forward. We are ready to open our airspace if India de-escalates."

Pakistan lies in the middle of a vital aviation corridor and the airspace restrictions affected hundreds of commercial and cargo flights each day, adding to flight time for passengers and fuel costs for airlines.

The announcement came hours after United Airlines Holdings Inc said it was extending the suspension of its flights from the United States to Delhi and Mumbai in India until October 26, citing continued restrictions of Pakistani airspace.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1494402/p...e-for-civil-aviation-after-nearly-five-months
 
Bump!

I am hearing from various news outlets that our airspace is finally open for ALL air traffic including overflights to and from India - as per NOTAM issued by the CAA.

Track 2 diplomacy is activated so this was coming.
 
What is track 2 diplomacy? &#55357;&#56837;

When govts are not talking to each other directly thn unofficial contacts are used to initiate back channel diplomacy between both countries and when the dust settles down thn officials get involved. At the moment India and Pakistan are only talking about kartarpur at govt level.
 
When govts are not talking to each other directly thn unofficial contacts are used to initiate back channel diplomacy between both countries and when the dust settles down thn officials get involved. At the moment India and Pakistan are only talking about kartarpur at govt level.

I thought there was govt level contact between the two countries regarding the airspace issue? Indian authorities had requested Pakistan to remove the airspace restrictions but Pakistan was adamant that Indian fighter planes should be removed from their forward bases first...

Not sure if this is what has triggered lifting the airspace restriction or if there has been any other concessions or agreements.
 
The Ministry of Aviation’s website faced cyberattacks on Tuesday and hackers posted different messages in a foreign language, ARY News reported.

The aviation ministry’s website was hacked and different messages in a foreign language were posted on it. The website was temporarily shutdown and later restored by the IT experts.

The ministry’s spokesperson confirmed the development and said that the IT experts started restoration process.

In July, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) website had experienced a cyberattack and a security alert was issued by the authorities.

The ECP’s website had been targeted in a cyber attack, following which security alerts were issued, instructing the officers affiliated with the election commission to ignore unknown emails.

In March, the Supreme Court (SC) official website had been hacked after a cyberattack and the hackers posted a message on it, “Our spring sale has started’.

The concerned IT specialists restored the SC website in a short period.

Source: ARY

 
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