Toncontin Airport - Tegucigalpa Update

Yesterday saw Toncontin's airport runway blocked by military vehicles as political unrest affects flights bound for MHTG (TGU), with all flights cancelled. Some 20,000 supporters of exiled Honduras President Manuel Zelaya were confronted by the Honduran army at the airport.

This informative article about Toncontin International Airport, reveals that the airport is equipt for both military and civil use. The unusual recent events however seem to have given precedence to the military capacity in this situation, as the airport has become the centre of attention.

Technically the airport was said to be open, however the military vehicles purposely parked across the 1863 metre runway in order to prevent the exiled President's private Venezuelan jet from landing.

For the travelling public, this incident will affect the following airlines operating a service to Toncontin International Airport, Tegucigalpa:

• Aerolineas Sosa
• American Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• Continental Airlines
• Copa Airlines
• Isleña Airlines
• TACA

Further information from Associated Press reports the President's jet circled Tegucigalpa, but later landed at a nearby airport:

Tegucigalpa - Toncontin International Airport

An exciting introduction to the destination of Honduras, begins with the spectacular approach and landing at Toncontin International Airport, where natural facets combine to present a heart-stopping set of conditions.

Mixing the downhill runway, with a mountainous approach, plus a very short runway, ensures that pilots utilize all their skills to accomplish safe landings at Toncontin International Airport.

The airport is classed as both civil and military, and is operated by the military of Honduras. Toncontin International Airport is renowned as having one of the shortest international runways in the world, which is a single asphalt runway with a distance of 1,863 m (6,112 feet), as this video demonstrates.

“A Boeing 737 cockpit view of the approach and landing into the Tegucigalpa airport located in Honduras. Tegucigalpa (TGU) is considered by many to be one of the world's most dangerous airports due to; the steep approach required; elevation; short, sloping runway and high terrain in very close proximity.”

Located in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, a famous location in Central America, placing it in the time zone of UTC-6.

Amazingly for an international airport, the facilities serve only 4 gates and 2 baggage claim belts. It's quite a wonder how the 364,141 passengers travel through here. Further signs of the lacking status is the absence of any official website.
The code TGU / MHTG represents more in the way of cargo, statistically because an impressive 6,895,267 tonnes of cargo can move through the airport in a year.


Map of Toncontin International Airport:


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Technorati tags: Airport information. Toncontin International, TGU.