... Married a Canadian , it`s all about competitive advantage/ disadvantage. As this is a flight crew oriented forum , I am certain that most flight crewmembers with EK and/or EY would agree that it is to THEIR disadvantage that their government run airline is so closely aligned with their regulatory body. Imagine American Airlines and the FAA having the same owner. How about Transport Canada and Air Canada ? Qantas and CASA ? British Airways and the UK CAA ? Now do you get it ? Do you feel safer knowing that the fox is guarding the henhouse ? You shouldn`t ! If there was such a thing as transparency in the UAE , perhaps you would see what you refuse to acknowledge as reality. That`s just a start. The airlines of the UAE possess an unfair , untenable and unrealistic competitive advantage versus most other ICAO / IATA airlines. We haven`t even mentioned the safety implications of this frightening arrangement. The Canadian government should stand firm.