Toncontín International Airport

Toncontín International Airport
Aeropuerto Internacional Toncontín
Summary
Airport type Military/Public
Owner/Operator InterAirports
Serves Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Elevation AMSL 1,005 m / 3,297 ft
Coordinates 14°03′42″N 087°13′01″W / 14.06167°N 87.21694°W / 14.06167; -87.21694Coordinates: 14°03′42″N 087°13′01″W / 14.06167°N 87.21694°W / 14.06167; -87.21694
Website www.interairports.hn
Map
MHTG

Location in Honduras

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
02/20 2,163 7,096 Asphalt
Statistics (2014)
Passengers 617,526
Passenger change 13–14 Increase6.2%
Aircraft movements 22,714
Movements change 13–14 Decrease6.2%
Source: AIP,[1] InterAirports, S.A.[2]

Toncontín International Airport (IATA: TGU, ICAO: MHTG) or Teniente Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía Airport is a civil and military airport located 6 km (4 mi) from the centre of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The History Channel programme Most Extreme Airports ranks it as the second most dangerous airport in the world.[3] The approach to the airport is considered to be one of the most difficult in the world to all aircraft, especially in inclement weather conditions.

History

Toncontín in the 1980s

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. José Santos Guardiola defeated General Trinidad Cabañas, 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 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 Yucatán, 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 realise 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 Carías, 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.

Facilities

Interior of Toncontín
Toncontín before the removal of the hillside
Toncontín after the removal of the hillside

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.[3] 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 the 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, situated 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 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 m × 45 m (6,631 ft × 148 ft)

Boeing 757s are the largest aircraft that normally land at Toncontín. Even with its recent runway extension, Toncontín's runway is still significantly shorter than that of most international airports.

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 and early 1990s SAHSA operated Boeing 727's and Boeing 737'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.

The airport charges non-citizens an airport tax of USD 39.72 and citizens one of USD 37 payable by cash or credit card upon departure, both of which are probably among the highest in the world.

Toncontín is also the home of the Aeroclub de Honduras (Honduran Air Club).

International flights suspension

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 8, 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.

Toncontín today

Aerial view of Toncontín International Airport

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

TACA Airbus A320-200 in Tegucigalpa
AirlinesDestinations
Aerolíneas Sosa Guatemala City, La Ceiba, San Pedro Sula, Roatán
American Airlines Miami
Avianca El Salvador San Salvador
Avianca Guatemala San José (CR), San Salvador
Avianca Honduras Guatemala City, San Pedro Sula
Avianca Nicaragua Managua
Aviatsa Charter: Roatán
BEDY EasySky
operated by EasySky
Saint Lucia
CM Airlines Guatemala City, Roatán, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador (SSS)
Copa Airlines Panama City–Tocumen, San José (CR)
Delta Air Lines Atlanta
EasySky Cancún, Toluca/Mexico City
Transportes Aereos Guatemaltecos Guatemala City
Charter: San Salvador (SSS)
United Airlines Houston-Intercontinental

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
DHL de Guatemala Guatemala City

Accidents and incidents

See also

References

  1. "MHTG – Toncontín / Internacional" (PDF). AIP de Centroamerica. Tegucigalpa: Corporación Centroamericana de Servicios de Navegación Aérea – COCESNA. 18 November 2010. pp. MHTG AD 2–1–10. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  2. Memoria de Sostenibilidad 2014-2015
  3. 1 2 Most Extreme Airports; The History Channel; August 26, 2010
  4. "Past Destinations: 1987". Orbis. 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  5. C17 USAirForce @ Toncontin on YouTube
  6. Staff writers (31 May 2009). "En sesenta días se habilitará Palmerola". La Tribuna (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  7. Thelma Mejía (2 June 2009). "Soldier, Sailor, Airport Builder?". Inter Press Service English News Wire. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  8. Staff writers (20 March 2009). "Comunicado de Taca sobre mora con el Estado". El Heraldo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  9. Staff writers (30 May 2009). "A seis llegan los hospitalizados por sospechas de influenza A-H1N1". La Tribuna (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  10. "A un año del accidente de TACA todavía siguen las quejas". La Tribuna (in Spanish). 31 May 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  11. Staff writers (20 May 2009). "La capital de Honduras tendrá dos aeropuertos". El Heraldo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  12. Marino Ortariz (23 June 2009). "Suspendido permiso a línea aérea "Isleña" del grupo Taca". Hondudiario (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  13. Staff writers (6 July 2009). "Zelaya's jet blocked in Honduras". BBC News. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  14. Staff writers (28 December 2009). "¡Redobladas medidas de seguridad en Toncontín!". La Tribuna (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  15. ""Volveremos": Mel Zelaya". El Progresoresiste (in Spanish). 29 January 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  16. La Tribuna Editor (2011-04-09). "Spanish: Construction of Palmerola will start in September". laTribuna.com. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
  17. La Tribuna editor (2011-09-25). "Spanish: Government evaluates acquisition for construction of terminal in Palmerola". LaTribuna.hn. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
  18. Thelma Mejía (2009-06-02). "Honduras: Soldier, Sailor, Airport Builder?". AllBusiness.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
  19. 303, Belson (May 4, 2016). "Coalianza corrige: Toncontín solo servirá para vuelos chárteres". Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Tegucigalpa-Toncontin Airport profile". Aviation Safety Network. 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.

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