Makes Deal With Raul Castro To Set Up Shop In Cuba

ANN April 1 Special Edition (Parody)

ICON has announced that it will be closing its recently-opened manufacturing facility in Mexico and setting up shop in Cuba after closing a deal with Cuban President Raul Castro.

The company cited a cooling of relations with Mexico and the imminent renegotiation of NAFTA, along with a warmer relationship with Cuba, as the reasons for the move.

An ICON employee familiar with the negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the move just makes sense. “We just got started in Mexico, and so we haven’t made a real investment in that country yet. Spanish is the primary language in both places, so that shouldn’t be much of a problem. And hey, we build amphibious airplanes. Cuba is an island. And it opens up easy deliveries to the  lucrative Florida market just 90 miles away. Should we ever actually deliver an airplane, it will be an easy hop over the Straits of Florida to the U.S.”

The source said that since the company has established its Mexican presence, authorization from the U.S. government isn’t necessary. “The rules don’t apply,” he said. “We can pretty much just do it and there’s not a lot they (the U.S. government) can say. And the Castro government is thrilled to have the business. Not to mention that with the average salary for a Cuban worker is about $20 per month, our production costs will be significantly reduced.”

The ICON insider said that the base price of its A5 will now be listed in Cuban pesos. “It will look a lot more expensive … but it’s part of the deal we made with Raul.”

But the move will likely push any anticipated delivery of an A5 airplane back another three years, the source said.

FMI: https://iconaircraft.com