British Airways boss says Iberia purchase may have been better delayed

British Airways’ merger with Iberia, the troubled Spanish airline, should perhaps have been delayed, the boss of International Airlines Group has admitted. The airlines were combined to form IAG in 2011. But Iberia has since pushed the parent company deep into the red, as the Spanish national carrier has battled against recession, high unemployment and competition from low-cost rivals. Mr Walsh conceded on Friday that — with the benefit of hindsight — BA may have sought to delay the deal with Iberia, which has been questioned by some investors. “If I’d known the Spanish economy was going to deteriorate to the scale that it did, we may have delayed the decision but ultimately I believe the merger is the right thing,” Mr Walsh said, adding that BA