Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, has said that allegations about subsidies and preferential treatment to Emirates Airline are inaccurate and intended to malign the airline. Griffiths issued a statement responding to calls by European airlines for action by the European Union to slow the encroachment of Emirates and other Gulf carriers. "The only thing Dubai is guilty of is providing an environment that actually supports aviation," he said. "In Dubai aviation is embraced as a strategic imperative."