Emirates Airline Says Will Rebuff U.S. Allegations, Seeks Apology

Emirates airline says it will counter all allegations of unfair subsidies made by U.S. airlines and will expect an apology once it has done so, the carrier’s president said on Tuesday.

A coalition of Delta Air Lines Inc, United Continental Holdings Inc, American Airlines Group Inc and their labour unions have accused Gulf rivals of receiving more than $40 billion in government subsidies.

“There is a lot of low hanging fruit in the report which we will find it extremely easy to respond to,” Tim Clark told journalists in a briefing in Washington broadcast via webcast and which coincided with an aviation summit sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

He described an allegation in the report that the carrier was bailed out of $4 billion of fuel hedge losses as “tosh”.

“Let me tell you that some of the figures in there were factually incorrect – the conclusions that were drawn were incorrect and we will put the record straight with regard to the fuel hedge,” he said.

“We will rebut all the things that are said about us. Once we have done that, I expect to be given the benefit of an apology from people who have actually made these allegations,” he said.