The Russian Plane At Pearson Airport Will Soon Be Gone & Here's How High The Parking Bill Is

The now famous Russian cargo plane parked at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is soon to be moved.

Recognized for its massive physical size and the equally enormous size of its daily parking bill, the Antonov AN-124 is now in the process of being confiscated, according to the government of Ukraine.

Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said his government is, "preparing to confiscate the AN-124 aircraft and other assets of the aggressor (Russia) in Canada and transfer them to the benefit of Ukraine."

Shmyhal said this is part of a "new package of sanctions against Russia from Canada. In particular, against the company Volga-Dnepr."

The Russian airline owns the Antonov AN-124, which has been grounded at Pearson Airport since February 27, 2022, when the Canadian government banned all Russian aircraft from entering the country's airspace three days after Russian first invaded Ukraine.

Word of these sanctions was mentioned in a recap of the Ukraine Prime Minister's meeting with Justin Trudeau in Toronto last week.

Last year, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) told Narcity the owner of the plane was being charged 74 cents per minute, or $1,065.60 a day to be parked there.

415 days later, here we are, inching closer to a half-a-million-dollar parking bill. Yikes.

The exact math on that daily calculation puts the bill at a whopping $442,224, plus any applicable taxes and the remaining amount of days it takes for the plane to actually be confiscated.

There are only 26 Antonov AN-124 planes in the world, according to the Wall Street Journal, each of which is a staggering 226 feet long and has a wingspan of 240 feet.

The sheer size of the aircraft has made it somewhat of a tourist destination for passersby and aviation fanatics because you can get quite close to the plane if you want to snap a picture and it's hard to miss when driving by on the highway.

As of Tuesday morning, the cargo plane was still parked at Pearson Airport, racking up another day's worth of parking fees.

It's unclear how or when exactly the plane will be moved.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.