Speaking to the Sunday Times, BA chief executive and chairman Alex Cruz was asked if the policy change introduced in January on all short haul flights which has seen customers given the chance to buy M&S sandwiches and drinks could be extended to long haul.

In reply, he said: “We might do it.”

The admission has prompted further concerns that the former Vueling boss is employing low-cost airline tactics to survive in an increasingly competitive market.

But Cruz told the newpaper after a “rough start”, customers now welcome the opportunity to buy their own food on the flights

He said: “It’s going great. Customers say to us: ’Finally, I have good choices. No more chicken or beef’."

Cruz added current moves to put 52 extra seats into the airline’s Gatwick fleet of Boeing 777s could be extended to the Heathrow fleet.

He said: “We’ll start in Gatwick. We’ll see how it goes and then see what comes for Heathrow.”

He denied that the airline’s quality and service standards were suffering as a result of the cost-cutting measures.

Cruz said: "I don’t engage with running this airline into the ground."