Dubai: Emirates airline expects the US’ three largest airlines to apologise for allegations that it is the benefactor of billions of dollars of state subsidies, President Tim Clark said on Tuesday in Washington DC.

Clark held a media conference call in the US following meetings with federal officials about the allegations made against Emirates.

US carriers Delta, United and American want the White House to change its open skies agreements with the UAE and Qatar because of the alleged subsidies. The three US airlines have made the same subsidy allegations against Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways in a 55-page white paper.

“We will expect the benefit of an apology from those who have made the allegations,” Clark said.

US airlines have said they spent two years compiling the white paper on the alleged subsidies.

“All we ask is that Emirates be given the time to respond to the multiple allegations made about what we do and how we do it,” Clark said.

“We will rebut all the things said about us,” he added.

The three Gulf carriers have historically denied claims that they receive subsidies. Clark and Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways chief executive, spoke with CNN following the allegations while Etihad’s James Hogan spoke with the New York Times.

On Tuesday, Clark declined to comment on the allegations made against Etihad and Qatar Airways. The Emirates President previously said he would resign if subsidy allegations were true.

“I won’t have to resign because the allegations are incorrect and we will show them that they’re incorrect,” he said.

Clark described the allegations as “tosh,” a British euphemism meaning nonsense.

He also confirmed that the government of Dubai has held discussion with US officials to set up a US immigration preclearance facility in Dubai. The US has many preclearance facilities around the world that allow passengers to pass through US immigration checks before departing. One such facility in Abu Dhabi has proved unpopular among some US airline industry members.

Separately, in an interview with the Financial Times, Clark said Emirates will move to Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC) in 2023.