Helena Guergis, minister of state for the status of women, says her behaviour at Charlottetown Airport earlier this month was 'not appropriate.' (Canadian Press)

Helena Guergis, minister of state for the status of women, issued an apology Thursday to Charlottetown Airport workers and Air Canada staff for throwing a tantrum last week.

The move comes after an anonymous letter was sent to Liberal MP Wayne Easter earlier Thursday outlining the incident.

According to the letter, Guergis and an aide arrived late at Charlottetown Airport for their flight to Montreal on Feb. 19 and became verbally abusive to staff.

During pre-boarding screening, the letter said, the Ontario MP refused to remove her footwear, which set off the alarm as she walked through the metal detector.

When Guergis was asked again to take off her footwear, she allegedly "slammed her boots into the bin provided," and said, 'Happy f--king birthday to me. I guess I'm stuck in this hellhole.'"

The letter said then, "as the footwear cleared the X-ray conveyor [Guergis] then allegedly shouted at her aide to 'Get those for me. I'm not walking around here in sock feet.'"

When an Air Canada employee reminded her that passengers are expected to be at the airport two hours before departure, Guergis allegedly shouted, "I don't need to be lectured about flight time by you. I've been down here working my ass off for you people."

In her statement Thursday, Guergis — who turned 41 on Feb. 19 — apologized for speaking "emotionally" to some staff members at the airport, and admitted her behaviour was "not appropriate."

"It was certainly not my intention to create any additional stress for airport or Air Canada employees who already have a very difficult job," Guergis said in her statement.

Guergis also stressed her fondness for P.E.I., pointing out that her father was born in Summerside.

When contacted by CBC News, the Prime Minister's Office said it was "satisfied" with her apology, and that it "closes the matter."

Guergis is married to Rahim Jaffer, the former Alberta Conservative MP, who is expected in an Ontario court March 9 to face charges of cocaine possession and drunk driving.