Airline apologises for 'racist' giraffe tweet

Delta Airlines has apologised for an "inappropriate" Tweet it sent to congratulate the USA soccer team following its win over Ghana in the World Cup.

The Tweet featured and image of the Statue of Liberty to represent the US and a giraffe to represent Ghana, reports Sky News.

The company was inundated with criticism from social media users, claiming it was ignorant and offensive.

The company quickly deleted the tweet but not before other sites captured the slip-up.

Many users pointed out that the giraffe is not even native to the African nation.

Delta admitted that the original tweet was "inaccurate and inappropriate".

Delta apologised for their choice of photo and released a statement.

"As a global airline, we understand the role images play in shaping global perceptions," it said in the statement.

"We also recognize our responsibility to create messages that are both accurate and inclusive. We take this responsibility seriously.

"Yesterday, we failed to meet this responsibility. For this, we sincerely apologize."

Atlanta-based Delta, which has nearly 690,000 followers on Twitter, said that it is reviewing its procedures "to ensure that future images and posts reflect both our values and our global focus", reports Fox Sports.

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