The cargo airline Volga-Dnepr Airlines is legally defending itself against the seizure of an Antonov An-124 at Toronto Airport. A corresponding lawsuit against the state of Canada was filed in federal court.

The affected plane landed at the Canadian airport shortly before the start of the sanctions that Canada imposed in response to the Russian Federation's military attack against Ukraine. The authorities have prohibited this aircraft from leaving national territory. In other words: the freighter was put on the chain. Later, the Government of Canada decided that this Antonov An-124 would be confiscated and handed over to Ukraine.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines is defending itself against this measure by filing a lawsuit. The aim of the appeal is for a Canadian court to find that the government's actions are unlawful and that the cargo plane is returned to the carrier and can be flown out. Among other things, they argue in court that they are a private company and played no role at all in connection with the invasion of Ukraine. It is also emphasized that no services were provided for the Wagner mercenary army.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines indicates loss of value

RA-82078 has been at Toronto (Pearson) Airport since February 27, 2022 and is not allowed to leave the country. The Canadian government has decided that the machine will be confiscated and handed over to Ukraine. It is unclear to what extent the freighter is currently airworthy, as Volga-Dnepr Airlines claims in the lawsuit that no maintenance work was allowed to be carried out at the time the jet was chained up. This An-124 should also be exposed to the elements. This probably means that the forced parking could have led to a loss in value.

At first this An-124 was “only” chained up. This means that it was not allowed to take off and had to remain there with full parking fees at Toronto (Pearson) Airport. In June 2023, Canada's government ordered that RA-82078 be confiscated and handed over to Ukraine. The aim was to send a clear signal to Russia that it would not tolerate the war that was launched against Ukraine. Volga-Dnepr Airlines is now trying to take legal action to have this measure lifted and the aircraft released. The court's decision, which can then be appealed by both the state and the plaintiff, is still pending. This is an ongoing process.