Dubai: Emirates has rejected an apology from Delta Air Lines, one of America’s major carriers, after its chief executive, Richard Anderson, this week associated the 9/11 terrorist attack with Gulf airlines.

“We believe that the statements made this week by [Mr] Anderson were deliberately crafted and delivered for specific effect. This brings into question his credibility as a CEO of a US public listed company, as well as the integrity of the submission which his airline has submitted to the US authorities,” an Emirates spokesperson told Gulf News in an emailed statement on Thursday.

Delta’s Anderson told CNN on Monday he saw a “great irony” in UAE airlines criticising bankruptcy laws as state aid after they were accessed by US domestic carriers following 9/11 since most of the hijackers came from the region.

Delta later apologised for the remark.

Responding to Anderson’s initial comments, Emirates President Tim Clark told CNN on Wednesday he was “a little bit concerned that [Mr] Anderson crossed the line in some of the statements he made with regard to what went on with regard to 9/11.”

“I know that has caused great offence in this part of the world, and I’m sure it will be dealt with at the governmental and state level,” he added.

Document

Delta — along with American Airlines and United Airlines — are pushing the US government to change its open skies agreement after they presented the government with a 55-page document that they claim shows the major Gulf airlines — Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways — have benefited from $40 billion (Dh147 billion) in state aid since 2004. The document has not been made public.

Clark told CNN the claims were “unsubstantiated”. He also refuted the claims last week in an emailed statement that was sent to the media, including Gulf News. Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group, told Bloomberg last week the US airlines should offer a better service if the want to compete with the Gulf.

Qatar Airways chief, Akbar Al Baker, has also responded to the allegations telling CNN on Tuesday “[Mr] Anderson should be doing his job improving and competing with us instead of just crying wolf for his shortcomings in the way the airline is run.”

The Delta boss “should be ashamed to bring the issue of terrorism to try to cover his inefficiency in running an airline,” he added.

Etihad Airways is yet to comment on the matter.