Canadian Judge Rejects Russia's Bid to Reclaim Antonov An-124 Stranded at Toronto Pearson Airport

A Canadian judge has rejected a bid by Russia to reclaim an Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft that has been grounded at Toronto Pearson International Airport for more than four years.

The aircraft belongs to Volga-Dnepr Airlines, a Russian charter and airfreight carrier. It became stranded at the airport after Canada closed its airspace to Russian aircraft following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

This case sits within the broader fallout of the sanctions regimes imposed on Russian aviation since 2022, where aircraft caught outside Russian territory when airspace closures took effect have remained stuck in foreign jurisdictions ever since. Volga-Dnepr's An-124, one of the few aircraft types capable of hauling outsize cargo, is now tied up in Canadian courts rather than flying commercial missions.

For cargo carriers and lessors, the ruling reinforces how sanctions-related disputes over foreign-registered aircraft are resolved through domestic court systems rather than negotiation between governments, and how long such proceedings can run once litigation begins. Whether Russia pursues further legal avenues, and whether Canadian authorities eventually determine the aircraft's final disposition, will determine how long the An-124 remains parked at Pearson.