Toncontín International Airport

Toncontín International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional Toncontín
IATA: TGU ICAO: MHTG
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 6.2% Aircraft movements 22,714 Movements change 13–14 6.2%
Source: AIP, InterAirports, S.A.

Passengers	617,526
Passenger change 13–14	6.2%
Aircraft movements	22,714
Movements change 13–14	6.2%

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. 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.

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.