CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) -- A U.S. Virgin Islands airline banned from landing on French soil for safety reasons protested the decision Tuesday, calling it unjustified.

Air St. Thomas was among six carriers on a blacklist released by the French civil aviation authority Sunday in an attempt to allay public fears about flying after a recent series of deadly crashes. Although all the airlines had been banned in recent years, France had never before made a blacklist public.

Air St. Thomas started charter flights to the French Caribbean island of St. Barts in 1970. It has been banned from landing there since March 2004, said Air St. Thomas owner Paul Wikander.

After a year of losses, the airline is closing next month, Wikander said. Most of its flights had been to St. Barts, he said.

Wikander insisted his airline has a solid safety record, claiming the local government on St. Barts has resisted allowing U.S. competition for French Caribbean airliners.

''I'm really proud of our safety record,'' Wikander said. ''To be treated like leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.''

Attempts to reach officials in St. Barts for comment were unsuccessful.

The French aviation authority did not detail why each company had been blacklisted.

U.S. Federal Aviation Authority records show St. Thomas Air had 18 instances of safety trouble between 1980 and 2003.