New Delhi, July 22 - US carrier Continental Airlines Wednesday issued a formal apology to former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for having subjected him to frisking and even asking him to remove his footwear before boarding its flight from here three months ago.

'Continental Airlines apologizes to the former president of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, for any misunderstanding and/or inconvenience related to the security screening on 21-April-2009,' the carrier said in a statement.

'Our intention was never to offend Dr. Kalam or the sentiments of the people of India. Continental Airlines takes great pride and is honoured to have flown a respectable leader such as Dr. Kalam,' the statement said.

'We have tendered a formal apology to Dr. Kalam and we sincerely hope he will fly with us again.'

The airline also reiterated its commitment to comply with the regulations mandated by the local authorities such as the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and US agencies like the Transportation Security Administration.

The airline said while complying with such requirements, it sometimes encounters circumstances where these are not compatible.

'We hope the respective government authorities resolve these differences at the earliest in order to avoid any recurrence of this situation in the future.