British Airways is already eyeing further deals with other airlines after clinching its long-awaited merger with Spain’s Iberia to create Europe’s third-largest carrier.

American Airlines, which already has links with BA through the OneWorld alliance, would be one potential candidate, said Keith Williams, BA’s chief financial officer. He said that BA hoped the structure of the Iberia deal, one of the biggest in the global aviation industry, could prove a template for other tie-ups, including carriers in Asia-Pacific and India.