Willie Walsh said that British Airways would consider trying to buy BMI’s landing slots at Heathrow airport if they became available, in spite of the airline’s cash constraints.

BA’s chief executive admitted that the attraction of the valuable slots at Europe’s busiest international gateway might prove too tempting to ignore. “In the current environment, it is difficult to argue we should go out and acquire those slots,” he said on Tuesday during an investor meeting in New York. “Having said that, it may be the only opportunity we ever get.”