Honduras keeps large aircraft ban in place at Tegucigalpa

Honduran president Manuel Zelaya has decided not to authorize the re-opening of the international Tegucigalpa Toncontin airport for larger jets after preliminary reports about the 30 May TACA Airbus A320 fatal overrun failed to guarantee safe operations under current conditions.

The decision is a serious blow to the economy of Tegucigalpa whose mayor Ricardo Alvarez has been seeking the immediate full reopening, arguing the TACA accident "cannot be attributed to the airport, but to a pilot error".

Zelaya initially attempted to convince the US government to authorize the joint military and civil use of the nearby US military base at Palmerola, but the US rejected the request.

Now Tegucicalpa has no short-term option to restore major international carrier traffic as the work to extend its runway and improve approach ATC facilities "would take years", should they be approved. It would also require a change of the airport administration contract with its concession holder, Inter Airports.

Since the TACA accident, which left seven dead, the airport remains closed for jet aircraft carrying more than 42 passengers. This has left the country's capital virtually isolated from international air travel. Currently only two ATR 42-300s operated TACA's Guatemalan subsidiary Aviateca are operating an emergency schedule linking Tegucicalpa with San Pedro Sula (Honduras), San Salvador and Guatemala City where international connections are provided.

At the time of the accident, TACA, PANAMA’s Copa, American Airlines, Aeromexico, American Airlines and Continental Airlines served the airport. They all have either cancelled the route to Tegucigalpa or are redirecting the flights "temporarily" to San Pedro Sula, Honduras' largest city.

The Tegucigalpa Toncontin airport features a single 1,863 m long runway, which is surrounded by mountains, which requires a very challenging approach procedure.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news