Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has revealed that the government is in the process of pursuing the forfeiture of a Russian cargo plane that has been stationed at Toronto Pearson International Airport for several years. Anand described the endeavor as a complex task due to the convoluted ownership structure of the aircraft.
During a news conference on Friday, Anand emphasized the government’s commitment to assisting Ukraine amidst its current challenges. The Antonov An-124, a notably large aircraft, has been the subject of ongoing scrutiny and legal proceedings.
The aircraft arrived in Toronto in February 2022 to transport COVID-19 rapid test kits from China under a contract with the Canadian government. However, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Canada closed its airspace to all Russian flights, effectively stranding the plane at the airport.
Anand highlighted the meticulous process involved in disentangling the intricate corporate structures associated with the plane’s ownership. Despite facing obstacles in reaching all relevant parties involved, the government has been persistent in its efforts to move the forfeiture process forward.
Russia has condemned the seizure of the aircraft as “shameless theft,” with Volga-Dnepr, the Russian airline operating the plane, expressing its intent to challenge the seizure through legal channels. The government aims to return the aircraft to Ukraine if the forfeiture is successfully granted, acknowledging the significance of replenishing Ukraine’s Antonov fleet following the destruction of some of its aircraft during the conflict.
The complexities of the legal proceedings surrounding the plane’s forfeiture raise uncertainties about the timeline for the government to assume ownership of the cargo aircraft.