Aerial view of Toncontín International Airport

In 2009 TACA Airlines could not operate to Toncontín and apparently the rest of the country's airports because of a state debt to Honduras, but on May 20, 2009, TACA said that the problems with Honduras were resolved.

In 2009 Authorities at the airport finally decided to make use of masks and other measures to prevent the H1N1 flu virus, since the number of cases had risen to 34 in the country.

In 2009, one year after the crash of TACA Flight 390 at Toncontín airport that killed five people, business owners near the site of the tragedy complained that they had not been compensated.

In 2008 Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya said that Tegucigalpa, the capital of the country, would benefit from the construction of the Palmerola airport, while others claim that this was an attempt to close Toncontín.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Honduras temporarily suspended the operating license of Islena Airlines, part of the Taca El Salvador group, for outstanding debts of 37 million Honduran lempira, leaving the service of internal flights to Honduras in crisis.

In May 2009, a 984 ft (300 m) extension was completed on the south end of the runway, increasing the length of the runway from 6,112 ft (1,863 m) to 7,096 ft (2,163 m). The extension is helpful for take-offs to the north, and rare landings from the north, however, it is debatable whether it will assist with standard landings from the south due to the proximity to nearby mountains.

On July 5, 2009, the airport was closed to all flights and the airspace in and around Toncontín was severely restricted due to the planned arrival of ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya. Zelaya's private Venezuelan jet was not given landing clearance by the Authorities at Toncontín and the military blocked the single runway with vehicles and troops. The plane was then diverted to Managua, Nicaragua.

Due to the bombing attempt by Al-Qaeda of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on December 25, 2009; the security at Toncontín was increased with the use of undercover police officers at the airport.

On January 27, 2010, Honduran ex-president Manuel Zelaya and his family left the country after 120 days seeking refuge at the Brazilian Embassy, they left at 14:45 from Toncontín International Airport, to the Dominican Republic, where Zelaya proposed to hold a trial against the people who ran the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis. Thousands of Hondurans were present outside the airport to witness the moment Zelaya left the country.

In April 2011, the airport authority and the government of Honduras resumed airport relocation talks and announced that work on the new Palmerola airport would start by the fall of 2011 after years of efforts to replace Toncontín International with an airport at Palmerola in Comayagua where the Soto Cano Air Base is located.However, in a September 25, 2011 update, President Lobo stated officials were still "evaluating the pros and cons" of constructing the new airport. This comes three years after former President Manuel Zelaya had announced that all commercial flights would be transferred to Soto Cano Air Base; however, work on the new terminal at Soto Cano was then cancelled after Zelaya was removed from office on 28 June 2009 in the 2009 Honduran coup d'état. Upon realization of the Palmerola airport, commercial flights to and from Toncontín would continue to operate but will be limited to small aircraft and domestic flights.

During 2018, the airport received 625,593 passengers. Toncontín International Airport

As of December 15, 2021, all international carriers operating at Toncontin have moved operations to the new recently inaugurated Comayagua International Airport located in the military air base of Palmerola, located 70 km (43 mi) from Tegucigalpa. Among the airlines that have moved operations are: American Airlines, Avianca El Salvador, Copa Airlines and United Airlines. Airlines such as Aeroméxico Connect and Spirit Airlines are the new international carriers operating to/from Tegucigalpa/Comayagua.

Toncontín International Airport, also called Teniente Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía Airport, is located in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras.

The airport is located about 6km from the city centre in south Tegucigalpa. It was built in 1921 and serves both civil and military operations. It is one of the oldest continuously operational airports in Central America.The Toncontín airport has a single asphalt runway (02/20) which is 2,163m (7,096ft) long. The airport was built at an elevation of 1,005m (3,294ft).

The hilly terrain of the region played a vital role in strategic military warfare in the 1924 Civil War. The airport has been notorious due to its short runway and danger posed by the mountainous geographical approach.

The airport is being modernised to meet Class B safety and operational standards of the ICAO. The remodelling was started in 2000 and most of the works were completed by 2006.

The airport is served by AVIAC, TACA, Continental, Aerolineas Sosa, Delta, American, Copa, Central American, CM and Lanhsa Airlines. It handled 493,000 passengers in 2010. The ongoing projects are expected to attract more tourists to Honduras.

Toncontín International Airport Terminal Features

The old terminal building serves domestic flights, while the new terminal is used for international flights. Two gates are present in each terminal.

The terminals have various facilities such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Wendy’s, souvenir stores, a duty-free store, an ATM, several restaurants and cafés, a post office, airline lounges and bureau de change. Global Air Rescue provides the ambulance services at the airport.

About 15 accidents have been recorded at the airport since 1962 pertaining to its difficult mountainous terrain approach, bad weather conditions and human error.

In October 1989, the scheduled Tan-Sahsa Flight 414 (Boeing 727-200) crashed into a nearby hill while approaching the runway, killing 127 people aboard.

In May 2008, TACA Flight 390 (Airbus A320) overran the runway, killing three people aboard and two on the ground. The accident occurred due to the pilot’s error during landing. In February 2011, a Let L-410 Turbolet of Central American Airways crashed in Las Mesitas town killing 14 people

The airport's single runway is 2,163 m (7,096 feet) in length, and is at an altitude of 1,004 m (3,294 feet). Boeing 757s are the largest aircraft that normally land at Toncontín, as it has one of the shortest international runways in the world. However, larger aircraft have occasionally landed in Toncontín, such as a DC-8 on a mission with Orbis International in 1987; and a C-17 Globemaster in 2008 and 2009.

During the Football War of 1969, Toncontín was a major target for the Salvadoran Air Force, and it was bombed on several occasions.

Toncontín International Airport has 4 gates (2 in the new terminal), 2 baggage claim belts, 150 short term parking spaces, a post office, a bank, a bureau de change, many restaurants, several airline lounges, a duty free shop, car rental services and a first aid room. The old terminal is undergoing renovation, and will be used for domestic flights in the future. The new terminal is now used for international flights.