Actor Mark Wahlberg has apologised after claiming he would have stopped terrorists from flying a hikacked plane into World Trade Centre on September 11.

The star of Contraband was due to take American Airlines Flight 11 which crashed into the North Tower during the New York terror attacks in 2001.

In an interview with Men’s Journal magazine, the 40-year-old claimed that he would have overpowered the al-Qaeda terrorists and landed the plane safely.

He reportedly said: “If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn’t have went down like it did.

"There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, ‘OK, we’re going to land somewhere safely, don’t worry.’”

He comments were immediately criticised by 9/11 widow Deena Burnett-Bailey, whose husband Tom died after trying to fight back against terrorists on board United Airlines Flight 93, which crash landed in Pennsylvania.

Speaking to TMZ.com, she hit back: “Does Mark Wahlberg have a pilot's license? Then I think hindsight is 20/20 and it's insignificant to say what you would have done if you weren't there.

"The plan for Flight 93 was foiled by heroes.

"For him to speculate that his presence on board could have stopped everything is silly and disrespectful.

"Sounds like someone is grandstanding."

Yesterday, Wahlberg issued an apology saying it was “ridiculous to begin with” to suggest that he “would have done anything differently than the passengers on that plane”.

He added: “I deeply apologise to the families of the victims that my answer came off as insensitive. It was certainly not my intention."

Wahlberg had been due to take American Airlines Flight 11 with friends on September 11 from Boston to Los Angeles but decided to go to a film festival in Toronto at the last minute.

Speaking in the past about his missing the doomed flight, on which all 87 passengers died, he had said: “We certainly would have tried to do something to fight.

"I’ve had probably over 50 dreams about it."