In fairness there is a very simply way around that. Ban everything below 3 tonnes. It achieves the same thing, but doesn't upset large industry
That right, DP, but then why bother in the first place?
It's a bit like banning convicted paedophiles from having unsupervised access to children, but exempting those who are Rotarians and Masons.
It's so easy to go down a road where legislation achieves actually nothing and just looks vindictive, mean and spiteful. It does happen occassionally but not very often.
This is indeed the key issue with all proposed action against N-reg. The bigger operators have multiple aircraft and will structure their parking within the EU so as to work below any long term annual parking limit. They will avoid having any maintenance done in the EU, as that would count towards their allowance (which will wipe out large chunks of very high value maintenance business in the EU). Other people will work around it by temporarily leasing in planes and rotating them, etc, etc, etc. Anybody employing a paid crew will be able to work around any FCL-based attack (crew with EU citizenship will be fired). Only the low end GA owner community will get hit, and one has to ask: for what purpose?
What I really really hate is when some righteous person on here (2 or 3 of them) says this is the right and proper thing to do, they are going to get you this time hehehe, when objectively the result will be a purely spiteful and vindictive measure effectively only against those with the least money.