The boss of British Airways’ parent company IAG is expecting to make more acquisitions.
IAG purchased Irish carrier Aer Lingus for €1.4 billion earlier this year and previously acquired both Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling and Bmi from Lufthansa.
CEO Willie Walsh admitted he wanted to add more airlines to IAG but no deals were currently “imminent”.
Walsh, who was speaking at the Airport Operators Association (AOA) annual conference in London, added that he “expected” more consolidation within the European airline industry.
He also stressed his unhappiness with the potential cost of a third runway at Heathrow, which has been recommended by the Airports Commission. Walsh again branded the estimated £18.6 billion cost of the runway as being “unaffordable” for the airline industry.
Walsh admitted that the “economic case at Heathrow much stronger than at Gatwick”. But he dismissed the notion that Gatwick should also be allowed to a second runway as “only one runway was needed”.
“I don't think the answer is to build a runway at Heathrow and at Gatwick,” he said.
The government has promised to make a decision on the Airports Commission recommendation by the end of this year.