Originally Posted by
Aquitania
Airlines are not ex-terra. They do not enjoy the same ex-terra status as embassies in foreign states. Once you step onboard an EK flight in New York, this does not mean that UAE laws prevail - you are still either in the US (while on the ground), or in the international airspace (while in the air) - but you are not in the UAE.
EK can say whatever they wish, but this is how it is.
Once you pass the immigration border in Dubai - that is another story already and yes, you must carry a licence if you enter the country intoxicated.
Tampering with smoke detectors is different - here one damages hard assets of an airline.
Laws of the registering country are applicable to an airline when in international airspace. The UAE may well indeed not be able to make an extra territorial law governing , say, an EU carrier, but airline can be required to comply with laws of its country