No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessHonduras to convert US-built airbase into airport for capital

Honduras to convert US-built airbase into airport for capital

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Honduras is to convert a U.S.-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.

A German-Honduran consortium, Inversions Emco, will carry out the project after being the only company to respond to the government’s tender.

President Juan Orlando Hernández 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 U.S. military built Soto Cano three decades ago as part of the U.S. strategy to counter Sandinista rebels who took over neighboring Nicaragua, and other left-wing insurgents in Central America.

Currently the base is used for U.S. regional operations against drug smugglers and for humanitarian and disaster relief missions. It is jointly run with Honduras, which operates an air force flight school there.

It houses 500 U.S. military personnel who are rotated every few months because Honduras’ constitution bars a “permanent” foreign military presence.

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, Toncontín.

Toncontín airport, just six kilometers (four miles) from the center of Tegucigalpa, is considered extremely hazardous because of mountains and a short runway unsuitable for anything bigger than midsize passenger aircraft.

Watch how crazy it is to land at Toncontín:

Plans have been mooted for years to convert Soto Cano airbase for civilian use, but they were repeatedly put down.

The United States had been investing recently in the base to improve living conditions for its personnel posted there.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Updates National ID Card with Enhanced Security Features

Costa Rica's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) rolled out a redesigned physical identity card today. The update focuses on better protection against fraud while keeping...

Costa Rica Coast Guard Seizes Illegal Gillnets in Protected Refuge

Costa Rican Coast Guard officers pulled nearly a kilometer of illegal gillnets from protected waters in the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge during...

Back North from Costa Rica: An Expat’s Culture Shock

I am presently away from Costa Rica. I am in a foreign country. I was born here, but it is now a different place...

Costa Rica TSE Seeks to Lift President Chaves Immunity

Costa Rica's electoral tribunal has stepped up pressure on President Rodrigo Chaves by asking lawmakers to strip his immunity over claims of political interference...

Costa Rica Women’s National Team Coach Steps Down Amid World Cup Push

The Costa Rican Soccer Federation dropped a major update this week: Spanish coach Beni Rubido is stepping down from his role with the women's...

Costa Rica’s Hyatt Centric Escazú Finalist in GRI Awards

Costa Rica's hotel scene keeps building momentum on the global stage. The Hyatt Centric San José Escazú stands out as a finalist for Best...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica