Canada has been unable to confiscate the Russian giant aircraft An-124 Ruslan for four years
7 May 08:36
The Canadian government is continuing the procedure to confiscate the giant Russian An-124 Ruslan cargo plane, which has been parked at Toronto’s Pearson Airport for more than three years. However, the triumph of law has not yet allowed the Canadian authorities to bring the case to an end, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing insauga.
The Russian An-124, which is the largest mass-produced cargo plane in the world, has remained on the runway at Pearson Airport since February 27, 2022, shortly after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent closure of Canadian airspace to Russian-owned aircraft.
It reportedly brought a shipment of COVID-19 tests from China in early 2022.
This massive aircraft, which is approximately seven stories high and three-quarters the length of a football field, has become a permanent fixture in the landscape of Pearson Airport. After three years on the runway, there is no clear indication that it will be leaving anytime soon.
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Litigation
However, the situation may change as the controversial issue is being considered by the courts. A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada said that the case is currently being considered in one of the highest courts in Ontario.
“The Attorney General of Canada has initiated confiscation proceedings… A person or organization that has an interest or right to the seized property has the opportunity to provide evidence and participate in the administrative and judicial processes,”
– said the representative of the department.
After Ottawa confiscated the plane on June 8, 2023, it announced its intention to transfer it to Ukraine as part of an aid package. This was stated by the then Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau during his visit to Kyiv.
However, the Canadian government’s attempts to transfer the plane since the summer of 2023 have been hampered by lawsuits.
The Russian airline Volga-Dnipro, the registered owner of the aircraft, challenged the confiscation and reportedly approached the Canadian government in late 2023 to begin negotiations to return the cargo plane.
The case subsequently ended up in a Canadian court, and the legal dispute continues.
According to the Wall Street Journal last year, the Russian airline filed a lawsuit against Ottawa, seeking to prove that the Canadian government’s sanctions against the plane’s Russian owner are invalid.
Last August, Volga-Dnipro filed an additional $100 million lawsuit against the Canadian government, according to the Wall Street Journal, claiming that its business has suffered since Ottawa claimed rights to the aircraft.
The next stage of the litigation is now underway.
An-124 Ruslan is a Ukrainian-Russian cargo giant
TheAn-124 Ruslan is a heavy transport aircraft developed by the Kyiv-based Antonov Design Bureau in the 1970s and 1980s. It is the world’s largest mass-produced cargo airplane, capable of carrying up to 150 tons of cargo. The aircraft was intended for both military and civilian use, in particular for the transportation of super-heavy and oversized cargo.
Main characteristics
- First flight: december 26, 1982.
- Manufacturer: Antonov Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex (Ukraine) and Voronezh Aviation Plant (Russia).
- Length: 69.1 m.
- Wingspan: 73.3 m.
- Height: 20,8 м.
- Maximum takeoff weight: 405 tons.
- Maximum payload: 150 tons.
- Range with a load of 120 tons: about 4,800 km.
- Engines: 4 × D-18T.
- Crew: 4-6 people.
Production
The AN-124 was serially produced at two plants:
- Kyiv Aircraft Manufacturing Plant (Production Series No. 410, Ukraine).
- Voronezh Aviation Plant (VASO, Russia).
A total of 55 AN-124 airplanes were produced in 1984-2004. Of these:
- 18 aircraft were produced in Kyiv;
- 37 aircraft were produced in Voronezh.
After the collapse of the USSR, production in Ukraine ceased, and Russia continued limited completion of the previously laid down airframes. No new AN-124s were produced after 2004, although plans to resume production in both Ukraine and Russia were discussed. These plans were not realized, in part due to the breakdown of cooperation after 2014.
Today, about 20 aircraft are in operation, most of them in the fleets of Antonov Airlines (Ukraine) and Volga-Dnepr Airlines (Russia). According to some reports, Antonov Airlines operates 7 aircraft, Volga-Dnepr Airlines (Russia) – 12 AN-124 aircraft. Several more aircraft are on the balance sheet of the Russian military transport forces – approximately 5-6 units. However, there is no exact data on how many of them are in operation.
Features
The AN-124 is equipped with front and rear cargo hatches, which allows it to be loaded from both ends. The airplane has a “knee lift” system, which allows the nose to be tilted to facilitate loading.
It has become a record holder in terms of cargo capacity among production aircraft, capable of transporting unique cargo: locomotives, wind turbine blades, and military equipment.
Current status
After the outbreak of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war in 2022, Ukrainian specialists lost access to the aircraft remaining in Russia. Antonov Airlines continues to operate its own fleet and also works to maintain airworthiness.
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