| Toncontín International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional Toncontín |
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|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: TGU – ICAO: MHTG | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||
| Owner/Operator | InterAirports | ||
| Serves | Tegucigalpa, Honduras | ||
| Location | Tegucigalpa | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,005 m / 3,297 ft | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Website | |||
| Map | |||
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MHTG
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 02/20 | 2,021 | 6,631 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2010) | |||
| Passengers | 493,000 | ||
| Source: AIP[1] | |||
Toncontín International Airport (IATA: TGU, ICAO: MHTG) or Teniente Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía Airport is a civil and military airport that serves Tegucigalpa, Honduras. It is located 6 km (4 mi) from the center of Tegucigalpa.
The History Channel program Most Extreme Airports, ranks it as the second most dangerous airport in the world.[2]
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Since the 19th century, the plains south of Tegucigalpa became known as the "Potrero Los Llanos", part of a farm adjoining the farm Loarque. In these areas, political events took place. Jose Santos Guardiola defeated General Trinidad Cabanas, seizing the presidency of Honduras. "El Llano" as it was known, is to the south end of Comayagüela. On a road to the south is the field that served for the takeoff and landing of aircraft. Currently, this forms the Hernan Acosta Mejia (HAM) Air Force base. The first landing was in 1921 when a single-engine plane from the Bristol Aeroplane Company landed with Captain Dean Ivan Lamb in command. He was received by many people, including beautiful "Damita" society, as well as President Rafael López Gutiérrez who broke a bottle of champagne on one of the aircraft's propellers.
The origin of the name Toncontín is unknown, but experts say that it is a word derived from the Nahuatl word "Tocotín", the name of an ancient and sacred dance of Yucatan, Mexico.
The Aviator Luigi Venditti conducted several flights using the natural floodplain from Toncontín. Jose Villa, an Italian national, was another precursor of Honduran aviation who conducted flights from Toncontín; as did Starnaivola, Enrique Massi, Ball, and Clarence H. Brown.
The civil war in 1924 caused Tiburcio Carías to realize that aviation had a great future in Honduras, providing an ideal transport solution for a mountainous country; as well as being a strategic military weapon. For these reasons and with the growth of commercial aviation and the emergence of the Honduran Air Force, General Tiburcio Carias, acquired the land that was to become Toncontín airport in 1933. On January 5, 1934 Toncontín airport was inaugurated with the landing of a Douglas DC-3 from Pan American World Airways. Months later TACA opened "Hotel Toncontín" to accommodate passengers in transit, and Pan-Am built a hangar.
During the Football War of 1969, Toncontín was a major target for the Salvadoran Air Force, and it was bombed on several occasions by Salvadoran Air-raids.
The airport received much notoriety as being one of the most dangerous in the world due to its proximity to mountainous terrain, its short runway, and its historically difficult approach to runway 02.[2] For years efforts have been made to replace it with Soto Cano airport in Comayagua, currently an airbase. Toncontín has, however, been significantly improved by the work of Airport Corporation of Tegucigalpa (ACT) and InterAirports, a company contracted by the Honduran government to administer the country's four major airports.
The airport has a single asphalt runway, which sits at an elevation of 1,005 m (3,297 ft) AMSL. Until May 2009 the runway was only 6,112 ft (1,863 m) in length. In 2007 the approach to runway 02 was made significantly easier by work which systematically bulldozed a large portion of the hillside, immediately before the threshold. Following on from this work, in May 2009, the southern end of the runway received a 984 ft (300 m) extension, lengthening it to 7,096 ft (2,163 m). As of 2011 the runway is listed as being 2,021 × 45 m (6,631 × 148 ft)
Boeing 757s are the largest aircraft that normally land at Toncontín. Even with its recent runway extension, Toncontín has one of the shortest international runways in the world.[3]
Historically, larger aircraft have occasionally landed at Toncontín, such as a Douglas DC-8 on a mission with Orbis International in 1987, and a C-17 Globemaster in 2008, 2009 and 2011.[4][5] In the 1980s SAHSA operated Boeing 727's from its hub at Toncontín.
Toncontín International Airport has 4 gates (2 in the new terminal), a post office, a bank and bureau de change, many restaurants, and several airline lounges, as well as a duty free shop, car rental services and a first aid room. The old terminal is undergoing renovation, and will be used for domestic flights in the future. The new terminal is now used for international flights.
Toncontín is also the home of the Aeroclub de Honduras (Honduran Air Club).
On May 30, 2008, The tragedy of TACA Flight 390 prompted the announcement by then Honduran President Manuel Zelaya that all large aircraft operations would move to the Soto Cano Air Base. This move would effectively move all international traffic from Toncontín, limiting its use to only domestic flights and small aircraft.[6]
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) completed a review of Toncontín and made safety recommendations regarding the airport. On June 25, 2008, President Zelaya reiterated his position of severely restricting international traffic to and from Toncontín and announced his intention to form a commission that would oversee implementing the safety recommendations of the ICAO report.
On July 7, 2008, President Zelaya announced the reopening of Toncontín airport at a news conference following a three-hour meeting with businessmen, who had demanded commercial flights resume at Toncontín due to Soto Cano Air Base being too far from Tegucigalpa. Zelaya reiterated that all commercial flights would eventually use the new airport at Soto Cano Air Base from 2009. This however, was canceled after Zelaya was removed from office on June 28, 2009 in the 2009 Honduran coup d'état.[7] International flights continue to operate to Toncontín.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Aerolíneas Sosa | La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula |
| American Airlines | Miami |
| Copa Airlines | Panama City, San José de Costa Rica |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta |
| TACA Airlines | Guatemala City, Miami, San José de Costa Rica, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador |
| TACA Regional operated by Isleña Airlines | La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula |
| United Airlines | Houston-Intercontinental |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| DHL de Guatemala | Guatemala City |
The approach to Toncontín airport is one of the most difficult in the world to all aircraft, especially in inclement weather conditions.