Coronel Hernan Acosta Mejía Air Base
The Colonel Hernan Acosta Mejía Air Base is located in the capital of the republic and serves as the gateway for the arrival of dignitaries, personalities, and international aid during emergencies. It was in these same facilities where the Honduran Air Force began its operations in the 1930s.
It serves as the center for air transport operations for both the Armed Forces and the Central Government. Currently commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Aviation D.E.M.A Jose Luis Sauceda Sierra.
Its specific mission includes air transport operations, search and rescue, air mobility, and transportation of dignitaries at the national and international levels.
The air base is equipped with transportation assets that allow it to carry out cooperation and support missions when needed. It houses the air transport squadron assigned to the presidency of the republic to transport dignitaries and distinguished visitors. During Hurricane Mitch, HAM Air Base served as the main hub for international aid distribution.
Hundreds of flights carrying aid were conducted from these facilities. In addition to fulfilling the aforementioned missions, on Wednesday and Thursday, September 5th and 6th, 2007, a C-130 Hercules aircraft took off from Tegucigalpa bound for Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, transporting humanitarian aid from the Honduran government to the nation affected by Hurricane Felix.
Similarly, prior to the arrival of this natural phenomenon in Honduras, HAM Air Base transported hundreds of people from the Bay Islands to La Ceiba, Atlántida, due to its ability to observe large areas of land from the air.
In 2003, the Colonel Hernán Acosta Mejía Air Base incorporated a special device in its helicopters to combat forest fires from the air.
