
A seized Russian cargo plane is languishing for a third winter at Pearson Airport. Who will pay to remove it?
The giant Russian cargo jet has been sitting idle on the east tarmac at Toronto Pearson Airport for almost three years while racking up over a million in parking fees which the federal government says it is paying for
Surrounded by utility vehicles in a barren, dusty lot, with foliage sprouting around it, a massive Russian cargo jet — almost as long as three tennis courts — has been grounded on the east tarmac at Toronto Pearson Airport for three years.
While racking up more than $1 million in parking fees, which the federal government said it is paying for, the large white and blue plane has been parked on an unused swath of airfield at Pearson and can be seen by passengers flying in and out of the airport and drivers travelling on Highway 427.
The airplane, which was delivering a shipment of COVID-19 rapid tests, arrived at Pearson Airport on Feb. 27, 2022. On the same day, it was banned from departing as Canada announced the closure of its airspace to all Russian aircraft in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Since then, the federal government added Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC and Volga-Dnepr Group, the operators of the Russian-registered Antonov 124, to the sanction list, paving the way for an order to seize the airplane in June 2023.
While Canada said it planned to surrender the plane to Ukraine as financial aid, little progress has been reported since. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in the middle of the legal process to claim ownership of the plane while juggling disputes filed by the Russian airline seeking to overturn the seizure, including a $100 million claim.
While Global Affairs, Transport Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada declined to say when the plane will be removed from Pearson or given to Ukraine, we asked some aviation experts to weigh in. Here’s what we know.
Can the Russian airplane still fly?
To ensure the proper maintenance and operation of its equipment, the aircraft needs to be heated to prevent it from freezing, and the engine needs to be started regularly to check whether all systems are in play, said John Gradek, an aviation analyst and lecturer at McGill University.
It may not be in flyable condition after being unused for almost three years.
“That airplane has to, in fact, be turned on and flown. It’s not happened for close to three years,” he said.
If it can’t fly, this massive plane — capable of carrying 150 tons of cargo — cannot be transported without being disassembled, Gradek said.
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