British Airways and Iberia have drawn up a shopping list of 12 airlines as they look to embark on a spending spree once their merger is completed.
BA chief Willie Walsh told reporters in Mumbai in India on Sunday that the two airlines, which plan to merge by the end of the year and call themselves International Airlines Group (IAG), had compiled a list of 12 potential targets following talks over expansion.
'We have had a number of meetings where we have looked at airlines around the world and identified those that would be attractive to us in joining IAG,' the BA CEO said, adding that no deals were imminent.
'This is just to give us a focus. We have not had any discussions with any airlines. There is nothing going on at the moment,' he said.
Analysts said they were unsurprised by Walsh's comments given the need for consolidation within the industry as companies look to increase their competitiveness in a market dominated by big air alliances and low cost carriers.
On Sunday, BA announced a partnership agreement with India's Kingfisher Airlines.
