Honduras to convert US-built airbase into airport for capital

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Honduras to convert US-built airbase into airport for capital
AFP
December 23, 2015, 4:06 am

Tegucigalpa (AFP) - Honduras is to convert a US-built military airbase northwest of its capital into a civilian airport to replace the city's current one, considered one of the most dangerous in the world, officials said Tuesday.

The work on the Soto Cano base located in the town of Palmerola, 75 kilometers (50 miles) from the capital Tegucigalpa, will begin in mid-2016, take 18 months to complete, and is expected to cost $136 million.

. . .

President Juan Orlando Hernandez said on his official Facebook page that the construction of an 11,000-square-meter (118,500-square-foot) passenger terminal on the base will create "more than 1,000 new jobs."

The American military built Soto Cano three decades ago as part of the US strategy to counter Sandinista rebels who took over neighboring Nicaragua, and other leftwing insurgents in Central America.

Read more: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/30428183/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Here's a look at how pilots have had to try to land in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at Toncontin Air Port

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The last President who tried to convert Palmerola to a civilian use airport was kidnapped by the military at gunpoint in a coup, and dumped at night in Nicaragua wearing only his pajamas, as part of a coup in 2009.

On edit, adding video showing a different plane, having to make it in 3 times!

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You wouldn't want just anyone trying to land there!

[romanic]

6. Ugh

My stomach dropped at that first video. :X

[MADem]

2. That is a wonderful re-purposing of an existing facility, and the location is good, too.

It will also make it easier for people traveling there on humanitarian/interdiction missions to "go commercial" -- they'll land in the same place they need to be, pretty much.

The base of that runway is likely very well constructed, which is a plus. It's plainly an easier approach, and will make travel to the nation much simpler:

The airbase already has a runway more than 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) long and with a far easier approach than the current one serving the capital, Toncontin.

[Peace Patriot]

3. Jeez, what a bitter irony!

[SharonAnn]

4. The current airport is pretty scary to land on.

Living there for a year, I had occasion to fly in and out. It's at the top of a mountain and occasionally a plane goes off the end of the runway, a hundreds of feet down. Once my husband watched my my plane land too far down the runway and thought it wouldn't stop in time and would fall off the runway, a mountain side. He thought he was watching my death. fortunately the plane stopped in time, barely. We weren't far from the end of the runway.

And the approach winds low through mountains on both sides.

The big American airbase was "secret", but everyone knew where it was.

[FrodosPet]

5. Sweet deal for my brother and sister cab drivers!

"75 kilometers (50 miles) from the capital Tegucigalpa"

3 runs a day at that distance and you are PAID!

At least until Uber takes over, getting desperate people to destroy their personal vehicles while breaking the law and taking a long term loss from repairs and accelerated depreciation.

[madokie]

7. Good for them

Best use of that space I can think of