&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "A Russian jet has been stranded in Canada for more than 4 years. Here's why")
A Russian cargo jet has been stuck at Toronto Pearson International Airport since it launched an invasion of Ukraine. The Antonov An-124 plane has been stranded in Canada as the country closed its airspace to Russian aircraft in 2022, soon after the war started. The jet belongs to the Russian charter and airfreight specialist Volga-Dnepr Airlines. Now the company has taken legal action to get its jet back home.
Volga-Dnepr Airlines has lodged a legal appeal against the sanctions, as they are hampering its return. But it was dealt a blow as the motion has been rejected by a judge in Canada. He stated that the carrier's arguments are insufficient to free the jet. So the case closed as soon as it started. So it will continue to remain at one of the busiest airports in Canada.
Why was Volga-Dnepr Airlines' plane not allowed to return from Canada?
Canadian Aviator said that 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." So the airline will have to bear the brunt of its actions. It added that these goods were used "in sensitive or military-related sectors", and this became one of the reasons for rejecting the legal appeal.
According to INsauga Ontario Local News, the plane reached Toronto on February 27, 2022, with coronavirus tests, making a stop at Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in Alaska. Soon after, Canadian airspace was closed to the airline. It was shelling out more than $1,000 a day in parking costs. The Canadian government officially seized the plane in June 2023. In a bid to get it back, Volga-Dnepr appealed to be removed from the sanctions list, arguing it had not carried military equipment in five years. But it lost this appeal as well.
Meanwhile, after all this time- that is, four and a half years- it has become an attraction at the airport. You can even see it on Google Maps.
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Six other Volga-Dnepr jets are stranded across the world
The airline has nine Antonov An-124-100 in its fleet, and they are approximately 33.3 years old. Of these, six are stranded in different parts of the world. Three of them have been at Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) in Germany since the war in Ukraine broke out, while the other two are stored at Dubai World Central (DWC) and Ulyanovsk Airport (ULY).
