Russian cargo plane seized by Canadian government at Toronto Pearson Airport
CTV
A Russian-registered cargo aircraft that has been grounded at Toronto Pearson Airport for more than a year was seized by the Canadian government Saturday afternoon and could now be redistributed to Ukraine.
A Russian-registered cargo aircraft that has been grounded at Toronto Pearson Airport for more than a year has been seized by the Canadian government, Global Affairs Canada announced Saturday.
The aircraft, an Antonov 124, is believed to be owned by a subsidiary of Volga-Dnepr Airlines LLC and Volga-Dnepr Group, two entities against which Canada recently imposed sanctions due to their actions in the war against Ukraine, according to a press release issued Saturday by Global Affairs. It has been grounded at Toronto Pearson Airport since February 2022.
The Russian plane initially planned to leave Toronto shortly after arriving from China, via the U.S. and Russia, in February of last year, but that flight was cancelled when the Canadian government closed the country’s airspace to Russian aircraft operators, grounding it indefinitely.
The owner of the plane has been billed 74 cents per minute to park at Toronto Pearson, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) told CTV News Toronto in April 2022, which adds up to $1,065.60 for each 24-hour period, according to the GTAA.
According to Global Affairs, this seizure is the first in the Government of Canada’s plan of action to put pressure on Russia to stop its war against Ukraine by straining its economy and limiting its access to resources that fuel the war. This is the first physical asset seized by Canada under this regime and the second seized under the Special Economic Measures Act.
Global Affairs said the Canadian government will manage the seizure in accordance with federal legislation, and if forfeited to the Crown, the plane could be redistributed to Ukraine.
