I remember a documentary a coupla years back,
Which heavily featured Emirates. Seems most flights contain one or more members of the seven monarchies that make up the UAE. They don't care about delays or curfews because 90% of the time, a guy in the back, who is basically the king, and a controlling shareholder, says 'we're going' or 'we're waiting' and the guy at the front, if he knows what's good for him, does as he's told. Not saying it's accurate or that it applies in this case, but it shows why sometimes our little laws are given the finger.