Air Tourer, you quite rightly ask what should be done to the pilots in this case: IMHO they should have been taken off-line, given a right bollocking, put into the simulator (if only to be seen to be retraining) and then perhaps docked a years' seniority or whatever EK use to 'reward' longer-serving crew.
Sacking them will not remedy the situation one iota. It's sweeping the dirt under the carpet. Sooner or later the dirt spills back out.
Outdated relics like 411A crankily sit in the safety of their comfy armchairs at their typewriters and rattle off stuff like No Fault but their own etc etc and that is typical of the 1930's managerial style still occasionally exhibited by airlines like EK. It's a sign of limited intellect to simply say you did it so you're fired. There are usually many factors leading up to the incident. It's a bit like sacking Gordon Brown because the UK economy is stuffed. Yes he's in charge but there were many factors outside his control that led to this situation. It might feel good to kick Gordon's ass but it won't resolve the problem.
If I am correct, some years back the EK CRM instructors were told they would no longer receive allowances for conducting the classes, so they all elected not to present CRM any more. If my story is right, I understand they were then contacted by a senior manager and told that they were engaging in industrial action, which is banned in the UAE. They were then informed the penalty for this behaviour was imprisonment. Most returned to their CRM presenting. Maybe my story is completely wrong (happy to be corrected) but there are big worries when any organisation uses such tactics. Resentment, fatigue and fear do not a happy or safe airline make.
Obviously unless there are more of these instances few passengers will boycott EK but I suspect what will happen is you may see pilots voting with their feet when the economies resume growth and the pilot shortage again starts to bight (as it really was in 2007). Heaven knows there isn't much going for living in the Middle East!
And yes Geepers Eprs we lot are still at it because it's clearly an issue that affect us all.
Aviation managerial skills seem to be retreating backwards into the 19th century and we all bear the brunt of it. Bollocking our own only serves to strengthen the hand of those managers.