The Antonov An-124 belonging to Russian airline Volga Dnepr Airlines remains at Toronto-Pearson airport over four-and-a-half years on. The giant airplane was initially grounded at the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when Canada closed its airspace to Russian-owned or operated aircraft in response. The cargo jet had just delivered a supply of COVID-19 rapid tests. Unable to take off, the aircraft sat put.
In June of the following year, the federal government ordered the aircraft seized under the “Special Economic Measures Act”.
A recent appeal by the company for relief was denied by a federal judge. According to a court document, Global Affairs Canada said Volga-Dnepr Airlines “played a critical role in supporting the efforts of the Russian regime to bypass sanctions imposed by Canada and its allies to obtain goods that are sanctioned or can be used in sensitive or military related sectors.”
The judge ruled that Volga-Dnepr “has not demonstrated the decision was unreasonable or lacked procedural fairness.”
Meanwhile, the airport authority is keeping a running account of parking fees, which were reported in 2022 as being $1,065.60 per day.
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