Judge Rejects Russia’s Bid To Reclaim Seized Antonov An-124 In Toronto

A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK.

This article was updated on Thursday, August 20, 2026, to include further details on Volga-Dnepr Airlines' fleet. It was originally published on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

For the four and a half years that have elapsed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, an Antonov An-124 cargo jet has been stuck at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). The huge aircraft belongs to the Russian charter and airfreight specialist Volga-Dnepr Airlines, and it was stranded upon its arrival in Canada after the North American nation closed its airspace to Russian aircraft.

Since then, it has become a fixture in the northeast corner of the busiest airport in Canada, and it even appears on satellite imagery provided by Google Maps. Recently, Volga-Dnepr Airlines lodged a legal appeal against the sanctions in order to try to free the jet from its seizure. However, a judge in Canada has now rejected the motion, deeming the carrier's argument insufficient.

Legal Challenge Rejected

Credit: Shutterstock

The appeals court's decision seems to have been relatively open-and-shut. According to Canadian Aviator, Volga-Dnepr lodged a legal appeal for sanctions relief concerning its stranded jet, but a federal judge rejected it, meaning it will have to remain in Toronto. Global Affairs Canada cited the carrier's support of Russia as a key reason.

Indeed, Canadian Aviator notes that it 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." Concerns about the use of these goods "in sensitive or military-related sectors" were also a factor. Furthermore, the judge did not find the airline's argument to be sufficient.

"[Volga-Dnepr Airlines] has not demonstrated the decision was unreasonable or lacked procedural fairness."

The Story So Far

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According to INsauga Ontario Local News, the Volga-Dnepr Airlines first arrived in Toronto on February 27, 2022. It carried coronavirus tests from China and reportedly stopped at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in Alaska along the way. However, it couldn't leave Toronto, with Canadian airspace closed to Russian-registered aircraft.

Simple Flying reported in June 2022 that parking costs alone amounted to more than $1,000 a day. With this in mind, and after the Canadian government officially seized the aircraft in June 2023, Volga-Dnepr Airlines applied to be removed from Canada's sanctions list. It did so on the premise that it had not carried military cargo in five years.

However, just like the recent legal appeal for sanctions relief, this motion was also rejected. That said, the jet hasn't been completely inactive since getting stranded in Canada. Indeed, Simple Flying reported 11 months ago that it had been seen moving at Toronto Pearson Airport. However, this was reportedly little more than a maintenance transfer, with no flying in sight.

The Plane Has Been In Toronto For So Long That It Appears On Google Maps

Credit: Google Maps

In the last four years or so, Toronto locals have become more than accustomed to the sight of the huge cargo jet parked at the periphery of the airfield. In fact, it has been parked in the northeast corner of the airport for so long that it is now visible on Google Maps.

According to ch-aviation, RA-82078 is 31.65 years old and first flew in 1995. Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered it the following September, and it spent its entire career serving the Russian cargo carrier under this registration before its stranding and eventual seizure. Since then, the Canadian government has expressed interest in transferring the jet to Ukraine.

Three More Volga-Dnepr Airlines Antonov An-124s Are Stuck In Germany

Credit: Shutterstock

According to present fleet data made available by ch-aviation, Volga-Dnepr Airlines has a grand total of nine examples of the Antonov An-124-100 in its fleet, having historically flown another three units of the type. These aircraft are 33.3 years old on average, compared to a fleet-wide mean of 24.3 years old, and just three are currently listed as being active. The other six are stored across the world.

Indeed, in addition to the aforementioned example that is stranded in Toronto, another three are parked at Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) in Germany. They became stranded after German airspace was closed to Russian-registered jets following the outbreak of the Ukraine War. Volga-Dnepr Airlines' other two stored An-124-100s are currently located at Dubai World Central (DWC) and Ulyanovsk Airport (ULY).