Thanks for the replies so far. For the record, the head of Emirates Airline is not the head of the CAA here, though that is a commonly held misconception.
The idea of a pilot just leaving and the problem going away is slightly missing the point. It may well go away for the individual concerned, but not for the many who can't due family circumstances, bonding, being a national here etc etc.
Certain carriers come to the attention of other state authorities for flying aged aircraft of questionable serviceability (PIA come to mind) and get banned from European airspace til things are fixed. Yet how many hours a month does a pilot from the United Arab Emirates have to fly through your airspace before the UK CAA (for example) take notice - 110, 130, 150?? All possible under the new rules.
So folks just remember, the next time you see that huge new football stadium, all the cricket advertising, the Americas Cup and indeed the model A380 in Emirates colours where once Concord stood at the entrance to Heathrow, the company that asks you to "Keep Discovering", is now asking their pilots to "Keep RECOVERING" from excessive monthly and annual flying hours. Lets hope it's not your family in the back.......