I don't think that's the point...one more flight to YYZ. Look around the offices of most of the MP's in Ottawa and count the Emirates models on the desks (airplane models). The lobby was hard and strong...and not for another gate in YYZ.
Emirates wants to have their lunch and eat everyone else' too. State run airport, cheapest fuel on the planet, bottomless pockets to buy hundreds of widebodies...and then dump seats on the market like the steel dumping of years ago. That's what this is...dumping. And when the planes don't fill up, watch the prices go further south.
So someone here then said as long as there is strong competition, the prices wouldn't drop...or stay low. How do you compete with that? And where are all these airplanes going to be flying to/from?
I say the Canadian government was right to put a stop additional access to YYC, YVR YUL,YHZ..and who knows where else. If it is deemed protectionist...well so be it. There are thousands of taxpayers in this country that work in the airline industry. Canada, ( although it shouldn't have deregulated in the first place) needs to at least be responsible in the bi-lateral department.