Such a partnership could see big cost savings for the carrier, by herding short-haul passengers into trains and focusing on more profitable long-haul plane trips.

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Under the state-backed rescue plan, profitable short-haul routes would be separated into a new business.

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Better yet, the Shuttle has funneled passengers onto Uniteds more profitable long- haul routes.

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So does Bombardier: the aircraft it would like to sell to Felix, and to airlines the world over, is the CSeries (pictured), a larger medium-haul jet that will take the planemaker into a bigger and potentially more profitable market, putting it in direct competition with Boeing and Airbus.

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