Cuba: Special cabin for Castro, rickety boats for Cubans

Cuban airline Aviaimport is to purchase two Il-96-300 jets from Russia's Voronezh-based Ilyushin Finans Co in line with an agreement signed by the parties, Gazeta.Ru reports.

The Cuban firm will pay $100 million for the jets, of which $85 million will be repaid within 9 years in the form of a loan guaranteed by the Russian and Cuban governments. Each plane will be furnished with a double cabin and a VIP-cabin for Fidel Castro.

The talks on selling the two Voronezh-made jets to Cuba began in late 2003. The first plane will be delivered to Cuba before March 2005; the second will be delivered by June next year.

He's about the only man in Cuba who's free to travel as he wills.