A historic tie-up between AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines (MAS), which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, could lead to unprecedented consolidation in Asia and other major strategic movements across the region’s rapidly evolving airline industry. In the volatile and high growth Asia Pacific region, a move of this nature typically guarantees a host of flow-on impacts on the plans of other airlines and partnerships. Often there is no broad strategy behind each new move, as the airlines react to local circumstances, but other players are quick to re-assess the opportunities and whole new permutations arise.