I thought that this article makes interesting reading - again it shows up the growing importance of Asia for air travel and makes OWs continued ambivalence toward the continent all the more puzzling . *A and Skyteam have been paying attention to the future and building their respective presences in Asia while OW still seems to be stuck .

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle1452495/

Demand for flights within Asia has outstripped the North American air sector for the first time, led by growth in China, and signs point to further expansion of the Asian aviation market.

There were 647 million air travellers in the intra-Asia market last year, surpassing the 638 million passengers within North America, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Monday.