Toncontín International Airport

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Toncontín International Airport

IATA: TGU - ICAO: MHTG
Summary
Airport type		Military/Public
Operator		Military of Honduras
Serves		Tegucigalpa
Elevation AMSL		3,294 ft (1,004 m)
Coordinates		14°03′39″N, 87°13′02″W
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
02/20	6,112	1,863	Asphalt

Toncontín International Airport (IATA: TGU, ICAO: MHTG) is a civil and military airport that serves Tegucigalpa, Honduras. It is 6 km away from Tegucigalpa's centre.

The airport's single runway is 2025 m (6132 feet) in length and is at an altitude of 1090 m (3,297 feet). Boeing 757s are the largest aircraft that can land at Toncontin, as it is one of the shortest international runways in the world.

During the Football War of 1969, Toncontin was a major target for the Salvadorian air force, and it was bombed on several occasions.

In 2000, the airport handled 6,895,267 tonnes of cargo, 12,911 aircraft and 364,141 passengers.

Toncontin International Airport has 4 gates (2 in the new terminal), 2 baggage claim belts, 150 short term parking spaces, a post office, a bank, a bureau de change, many restaurants, several airline lounges, a duty free shop, car rental services and a first aid room. They are renewing the old terminal, which will be used for domestic flights in the future. The new terminal is now used for international flights (also for the flight to Miami with a stop in Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, San Pedro Sula).

Toncontin is also the home of the Aeroclub de Honduras.

The origin of the name Toncontín is unknown. This airport has received much criticism for being one of the most dangerous in the world (due to its vicinity to a sierra,) and for years efforts have been made to replace it with Palmerola airport in Comayagua, currently a United States airbase. Toncontín has been improved significantly by the work of CAT (the Airport Corporation of Tegucigalpa) and by INTERAIRPORTS, a company hired by the government of the Honduras to administer the four airports of the country.