The Canadian government has asked an Ontario court to be granted full control over a seized Russian cargo plane that has been grounded at Pearson Airport for more than three years, accruing more than $1.3 million in parking fees along the way.
The Antonov AN-124 jet, one of the world鈥檚 largest cargo planes, has sat on Pearson’s tarmac since it was banned from departing Canada in February 2022. Ottawa announced the seizure of the plane just over a year later, in June 2023, in what politicians described as a direct response to Russia鈥檚 war with Ukraine.
The airline has claimed they have no affiliation with the Russian government, or any ongoing military operations in Ukraine.
If approved, the forfeiture application, filed with the Ontario Superior Court in March, will require the aircraft’s owners, Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC and two affiliate companies, to pay all costs incurred 鈥渋n relation to the seizure or restraint of the seized property.鈥
Represented by the Ottawa-based Tereposky & DeRose LLP, Volga-Dnepr and affiliates have filed notices with the court indicating their intention to respond to Canada’s application. When reached by the Star, lawyers at the firm聽declined to provide further comment.
In the three years since it was grounded in Toronto, the cargo jet has sat motionless, surrounded by utility vehicles and sprouting foliage beneath it in a barren, dusty lot on the airport’s east tarmac. In that time, the aircraft has been subject to the Greater 海角社区官网Airport Authority鈥檚 (GTAA) standard parking rate of $1,065.60 per day.
Today, that bill has reached an estimated $1,393,588. The federal government previously said it is compensating the airport for those costs.
If the court grants the forfeiture, the aircraft鈥檚 owners will also be ordered to cover the costs of maintenance.
According to Public Services and聽Procurement Canada聽(PSPC), workers started performing maintenance services on the aircraft on and around the aircraft on Sept. 15. They were expected to continue working on it until the end of the month.
Videos circulated online showing聽a small聽tug pulling the massive blue and white aircraft around the airport initially led to speculation that its long-awaited removal was finally underway.
In a statement to the聽Star,聽however, a spokesperson for the PSPC said the plane was temporarily moved to a different area of the airport for maintenance. It has now returned to its former location.
The PSPC declined to specify what work was being conducted on the aircraft, or costs incurred in the process, “in order to maximize the safety and security of the asset and personnel.”
According to the aircraft鈥檚 owners, however, the stranded plane has 鈥渟uffered from exposure to the elements and received no maintenance whatsoever.鈥
Volga Dnepr Airlines鈥 Antonov An-124, one of the largest production cargo planes in the world was grounded at Pearson International Airport in February 2022.
Steve Russell 海角社区官网Star鈥楢 long, convoluted process鈥
The road to forfeiture is shaping up to be a long one, said John Gradek, aviation analyst and lecturer at McGill University.
鈥淭his is not like a commercial forfeiture, in which somebody has an airplane and they’re not paying for their plane, where they鈥檇 have a bailiff show up and fly the plane away,鈥 Gradek said. 鈥淭his is a situation that requires legal arguments from international parties.鈥
These kinds of proceedings can take time, he said, adding that the process has been 鈥渟tymied鈥 by additional legal challenges launched by the plane鈥檚 owners, the first of which came in the form of a $100-million claim against the federal government.
Launched in August 2024, the claim the Canadian government was expropriating its business and property and, in turn, was in violation of a 1989 treaty between Canada and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, meant to protect the investment of both countries from expropriation and seizure.
Later that year, in November, the companies also applied to the Canadian Federal Court for a judicial review of its placement on the sanctions list.
It’s unclear if the proceedings are ongoing.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no end in sight, at this point,鈥 Gradek said.
What happens if the aircraft is forfeited?
The Canadian government previously indicated plans to surrender the plane to Ukraine as financial aid, if forfeited.
That could prove challenging, said Gradek, as the only two countries equipped to maintain and operate this kind of aircraft are Russia and Ukraine.
鈥淭his is a very specialized airplane,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not that many people who鈥檇 want to buy it.鈥
After sitting immobile on Pearson鈥檚 tarmac for years, the costs to source the Russian-made parts and repair it would be significant. As far as Gradek is concerned, if the Canadian government is awarded control of the plane, their best bet is to sell the parts individually 鈥渇or the best value they can.鈥
鈥淭he only way that airplane is getting out of Pearson is in pieces,鈥澛燝radek said.
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