The latest Honduran presidential aircraft were an Embraer Legacy 600 jet, donated by the Taiwanese Government; [1] and a Bell 412 helicopter.
The latest Honduran presidential aircraft were an Embraer Legacy 600 jet, donated by the Taiwanese Government; [1] and a Bell 412 helicopter.
Since its first purchase of an IAI 1123 Westwind in 1976, the HAF Westwinds have transported the most senior government officials, both civilian and military, to many countries. The airplanes have had 3 color schemes in its history (all white in the 70s, White and Blue in the 80s, and Silver and Blue Metallic currently). The first Westwind was a 1123 model, which was later replaced by an IAI 1124 Westwind. In the mid-70's, the Honduras government bought a package of aircraft from Israel, the first lot of 12 Dassault Super Mystères, and 2 IAI Aravas plus an IAI 1123, which had operating limitations flying out of Toncontin International Airport (TGU), on the nation's capital, Tegucigalpa, to foreign destinations such as Washington, DC, due to lack of fuel capacity. The later IAI 1124 model, acquired in the 1980s, had enhanced performance due to more powerful and fuel efficient engines.
Honduras was the first Central American country to have a presidential aircraft; the first of these was a Beechcraft 17 single-engine aircraft supplemented with a Curtiss Condor twin-engine transport, which was followed in the late 1940s by a Douglas C-47A converted to a VIP passenger transport in the 1960s until it was replaced by the IAI 1123 Westwind in 1975 followed by the IAI 1124 Westwind in 1980. In addition to the Westwind, the Honduran president had a Sikorsky S-76 in the late 1970s, followed by an Agusta A109E Power in the late 90s and more recently a Bell 412SP. In 2015 the government of Honduras bought a helicopter Bell 412EP and acquired for presidential use an Embraer legacy 600, donated by the government of Taiwan. In 2022, newly elected president Xiomara Castro promised during her presidential campaign to sell the aircraft and fly commercial and use the money for social projects for the poor. [2]
The IAI 1124 Westwind HR-PHO was involved in several controversies. Recent incidents include:
Toncontín International Airport or Teniente Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía Airport is a civil and military airport located 6 km (4 mi) from the centre of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The IAI Westwind is a business jet initially produced by Aero Commander as the 1121 Jet Commander. Powered by twin GE CJ610 turbojets, it first flew on January 27, 1963, and received its type certification on November 4, 1964, before the first delivery. The program was bought by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) in 1968, which stretched it slightly into the 1123 Westwind, and then re-engined it with Garrett TFE731 turbofans into the 1124 Westwind. The 16,800–23,500 lb (7.6–10.7 t) MTOW aircraft can carry up to 8 or 10 passengers, and 442 were produced until 1987.
José Manuel Zelaya Rosales is a Honduran politician who was President of Honduras from 27 January 2006 until his forcible removal in the 2009 coup d'état, and who since January 2022 serves as the first First Gentleman of Honduras. He is the eldest son of a wealthy businessman, and inherited his father's nickname "Mel". Before entering politics he was involved in his family's logging and timber businesses.
Helicol S.A. is a helicopter operator based at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia. It is a subsidiary airline of Avianca.
Air transports for heads of state and government are, in many countries, provided by the air force in specially equipped airliners or business jets. One such aircraft in particular has become part of popular culture: Air Force One, used by the President of the United States and operated by the United States Air Force. Other well known official aircraft include the Russian presidential aircraft, the British Royal Air Force VIP aircraft, the French Cotam 001, the Royal Canadian Air Force VIP aircraft, the German Konrad Adenauer, the Royal Australian Airforce VIP aircraft, the Japanese Air Force One, the South Korean Code One, Air India One, the Brazilian Air Force One, and the Israeli Wing of Zion.
The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, also named ALX or A-29, is a Brazilian turboprop light attack aircraft designed and built by Embraer as a development of the Embraer EMB 312 Tucano. The A-29 Super Tucano carries a wide variety of weapons, including precision-guided munitions, and was designed to be a low-cost system operated in low-threat environments.
The Agrupación Aérea Presidencial was the Head of State Air Transport Unit for the President of Argentina. It was closed in 2016 by president Mauricio Macri, because of the high cost of repairs and maintenance and the lack of adequate pilots.
The Embraer EMB 312 Tucano is a low-wing, tandem-seat, single-turboprop, basic trainer with counter-insurgency capability that was developed in Brazil. The Brazilian Air Force sponsored the EMB-312 project at the end of 1978. Design and development work began in 1979 on a low-cost, relatively simple, new basic trainer with innovative features which eventually became the international standard for basic training aircraft. The prototype first flew in 1980, and initial production units were delivered in 1983.
The Honduras Air Force is the air force of Honduras. As such it is the air power arm of the Honduras Armed Forces.
The Colombian Aerospace Force is the aerospace force of the Republic of Colombia. The Colombian Aerospace Force is one of the three institutions of the Military Forces of Colombia charged, according to the 1991 Constitution, working to exercise and maintain control of Colombia's airspace and to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order. It is one of the largest air forces in the Americas and has increased its activity due to important roles in the fight against narco-terrorism. Its main force includes 21 IAI Kfirs as defense fighters and 12 Cessna A-37 Dragonfly plus 24 Embraer 314 Super Tucano for counterinsurgency.
Brazilian Air Force One is the Brazilian Air Force call sign of the aircraft carrying the President of Brazil. On international flights the aircraft uses the Brazilian Air Force ICAO code BRS1 and callsign Brazilian Air Force 01. The Special Transport Group (GTE) is the unit of the Brazilian Air Force responsible for transporting the President, Vice-President and other senior government officials.
Roberto Micheletti Baín is a Honduran politician who served as the interim president of Honduras from 28 June 2009 to 27 January 2010 as a result of the 2009 Honduran coup d'état. The Honduran military ousted the President, and the National Congress read a letter of resignation, which was refuted two minutes later by Manuel Zelaya in conversation with CNN en Español; days later, the coup-plotters claimed that the Supreme Court had ordered to forcefully detain President Manuel Zelaya because "he was violating the Honduran constitution"; Zelaya was exiled rather than arrested. Micheletti, constitutionally next in line for the presidency, was sworn in as president by the National Congress a few hours after Zelaya was sent into exile by the Honduran military. He was not acknowledged as de jure president by any government or international organization. The 2009 general election took place as planned in November and elected Porfirio Lobo Sosa to succeed Micheletti.
The 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis was a political dispute over plans to either rewrite the Constitution of Honduras or write a new one.
The 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis was a political confrontation concerning the events that led to, included, and followed the 2009 Honduran coup d'état and the political breakdown associated with it. The coup was repudiated around the globe, but Roberto Micheletti, head of the government installed after the coup, has claimed that the Honduran Supreme Court ordered the detention of Manuel Zelaya, deposed President of Honduras, and that the following succession was constitutionally valid.
The cuarta urna or fourth ballot box referendum was a plan by Honduran president Manuel Zelaya to run a non-binding referendum to consult the public regarding the administration of a second, binding referendum to convoke a constitutional assembly. The referendum was planned to run concurrently with the November 2009 presidential, congressional, and mayoral elections. Some Hondurans opposed the plan, including many politicians from the two largest parties. When Zelaya pushed ahead with plans for this referendum on whether to include a fourth ballot box, the Supreme Court issued a warrant for his arrest and the army expelled him from the country in a June 28 coup d'etat, precipitating the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis.
Alleged Financial irregularities during the Manuel Zelaya administration received attention of many Hondurans. In late 2008, Zelaya went as far as refusing to send Congress a budget, claiming that it was impossible to come up with numbers, even though the constitution required the president to provide budget. The alleged irregularities are currently being investigated by the post coup government.
Avion Presidente Juarez was the Mexican presidential airplane.
General elections were held in Honduras on 24 November 2013. Voters went to the polls to elect a new President, the 128 members of the National Congress, 298 Mayors and vice-mayors and their respective councilors and 20 representatives to the Central American Parliament.
General elections were held in Honduras on 26 November 2017. Voters went to the polls to elect the President of Honduras to serve a four-year term, as well as 128 members of the unicameral National Congress, 20 members for the Central American Parliament and mayors for the municipalities of Honduras.
Comayagua International Airport, or Palmerola International Airport, is an international airport located 6 km (4 mi) south of the centre of Comayagua, Honduras. The airport was inaugurated in October 2021 as the country's new international airport for civil and commercial use. It was built at the facilities of the Soto Cano Air Base.