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Honduras capital reopens int'l airport after crash

Sat Jul 5, 2008 6:59pm EDT
TEGUCIGALPA, July 5 (Reuters) - The Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa reopened its airport to international flights on Saturday for the first time since a deadly air crash in May.

Authorities had closed Toncontin airport to all but domestic flights after a Salvadoran passenger plane skidded off a runway in bad weather on May 30. It smashed into cars and a building, killing five people.

Investigators blamed human error.

The Honduran capital is nestled in hills and has a reputation as one of the most treacherous airports in Latin America due to a difficult approach.

"The doors to Toncontin are open as of right now," said President Manuel Zelaya.

Since the crash, international flights had been redirected to San Pedro Sula, 100 miles (161 km) from Tegucigalpa.

Zelaya said the government is still planning to open a new international airport for the capital once it adapts a military airstrip to civilian use about 40 miles (65 km) from the capital. (Reporting by Orfa Mejia, editing by Alan Elsner)


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