This was published 1 year ago
Russian Antonov AN-124 stranded at Toronto airport attracts more than $100,000 in parking fees
By Alan Granville
The Russian-registered Antonov AN-124 is towed at Pearson Airport in Toronto in February this year.Credit: AP
A giant Antonov AN-124 is racking up a huge parking fine after being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The massive cargo plane, owned by Volga-Dneper, has been swept up in the response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Currently sitting at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, the heavy transport aircraft is stuck after Canada imposed a ban on Russian-owned or registered planes using its airspace.
It has been parked at the airport since February 27 after it had arrived in the country to deliver COVID-19 rapid tests.
The Antonov AN-124 is the world's second-heaviest gross weight production cargo aeroplane.Credit: Getty Images
The jet, registered as RA-82078, has incurred a daily parking fine of $C1065.60 ($A1179). So far, the bill is north of $100,000 with no end in sight to its predicament.
Transport Canada spokesperson Hicham Ayoun told CBC that the aircraft is the only one to fall victim to the federal ban known as "Notice to Airmen", or NOTAM.
"The aircraft is unable to depart in Canadian territorial airspace as it would be in violation of the NOTAM," Ayoun said.
"The latter remains in place, and there are no plans to make revisions or change it at this time."
The Antonov AN-124 is the world's second-heaviest gross weight production cargo aeroplane and heaviest operating cargo aircraft, behind the one-off Antonov An-225 Mriya.
That iconic Ukrainian cargo plane was destroyed near Kyiv, following the Russian invasion.
In total, 55 Antonov AN-124 have been built since it was introduced in 1986. Russian airline Volga-Dneper has 12 in operation.
Russian planes are banned from the airspace of a host of countries, including the US and many European nations. Airlines from other countries are avoiding Russian airspace, forcing some to take much longer routes than usual.
The invasion has had many knock on effects on the aviation industry. Vladimir Putin's regime has also been accused of stealing hundreds of jets which had been leased to Russian airlines.
Earlier this year, those airlines with foreign-registered planes were ordered not to take them out of the country because they could end up being repossessed.
There were at least 500 foreign-owned planes at the time of the invasion, worth $US12 billion ($A17 billion).
See also: US orders one of the world's most expensive private jets to be seized
See also: Teen student reveals where Russia's billionaires are moving their private jets
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