British Airways could consider a new tie-up with Qantas , but needed to be sure that it wouldn’t encounter the same political hurdles that helped ground its last attempt, the British carrier’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, told Britain’s Financial Times.

The newspaper reported that Mr Walsh said the British carrier’s planned £3.96 billion ($7.1 billion) merger with Spain’s Iberia could provide a template for tie-ups with other airlines, including Qantas. Under the proposed Iberia merger, both carriers would maintain separate brands and home bases.