The UAE does not realise or understand who or where they are in the world sceme of things. They are a 3rd world, piss ant police state. Canada is a first world member of the G7.
Someone wants a healthy airline environment for Canada. I would suggest a visit to the EK clinic and see for themsleves just how "healthy" EK is. EK operates on a whole different level. They don't have anything close to a Transport Canada, do not allow unions, practice in slave labor and don't honor contracts. If anyone thinks that is a level playing field you must be on your wife's drugs.
All the UAE is trying to do is steal the transit pax going to India. If the UAE was a country they would have their own O&D pax and not need to fly Indians all around the world.
Canada is doing the right thing and I hope a airspace restriction is the next step because as we all know the UAE needs Canada a whole lot more than Canada needs the UAE.
Visa requirements have always been slanted in favor of 1st world countries. After all how many Muslims want to live in Europe, N America versus how many N Americans and Europeans want to live in a 3rd world police state, forever? If the numbers are even close to 1000 to 1 I would be shocked.