New Palmerola International Airport
Palmerola International Airport is a new airport being constructed in Comayagua, Honduras, to replace Toncontin International Airport, which is situated in the capital city of Tegucigalpa.
Toncontin International Airport is one of the most dangerous airports in the world due to its short runway and proximity to mountainous terrain.
The new airport project is one of the prime initiatives taken by the Government of Honduras to increase the country’s productive infrastructure and transform it into a logistic and transport centre for the Central American region.
Being developed under public-private partnership (PPP) model, the project is estimated to cost $163m.
The airport will be capable of handling approximately 1.5m passengers a year. It is designed to offer an operational life of 50 years and comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
The first stage of the airport construction will take two years, while the entire project will generate 3,500 direct and 7,000 indirect jobs.
Location of Honduras’ new airport
The Palmerola airport will be constructed on a site that is currently occupied by the Palmerola Air Base in the Valley of Comayagua, 70km from the capital city. The site is located in the axis road between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.
Palmerola airport project background
Honduras has four international airports with an annual traffic of 1.8m passengers. One-third of the country’s air operations are concentrated in Toncontin airport, which presents serious risks for users. This caused the government to plan for a first-class, safe, modern and efficient international airport at Comayagua.
Financing for the new airport in Honduras
The estimated investment for the project is $163m, of which $53m will be funded by the Government of Spain through a debt restructuring programmed with Honduras, $87m will be provided by private investors, and $23m by the Honduras Government.
Courtesy: Airport Technology
