first big day

Not the big day, but our reception for Colorado friends and family. Thanks to all who came and celebrated with us!

what a catch!

Congratulations Guillermo on finishing your MA in International Economic Development at Eastern University! I am so proud! I wish I could have been there for this commissioning ceremony. Te amo!

one accident, many repercussions

Just a week ago, a full-size, international traveling airplane crashed at the airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. It was a TACA plane (out of El Salvador), which I have traveled on. A combination of bad weather, a short runway, faulty technology and a pilot's error led to the plane landing halfway down the runway and shooting out into a crowded street. Five died and more than 65 were injured.

If you live in or have ever flown into the Toncontin airport, you are not really surprised that this happened. It is one of the most dangerous airports in the world, for all of the reasons listed above. In fact, my flight to leave for the States in April was delayed by a day because of low visibility and therefore, no safe take off.

This is surely a tragic accident. It was a traumatic event not only for the individuals on the plane and their families, but also for the entire city. The heaping wreckage of the plane still occupies the crash site in the middle of a busy section of town. What continues to be tragic is the repercussions that this accident has had.

Immediately after the accident, the airport was shut down. Then, it was decided that only smaller planes, 42 passengers or less, would be allowed to fly in and out. One idea was to ready an airstrip about 60 minutes away to become an international airport. This airstrip is part of Palmerola, a Honduran owned, US government rented and controlled air force base. It would take 60 days to get this site ready, and now there are doubts about whether this is an option (by the US side). The other international airport in Honduras is in San Pedro Sula, 4 hours to the north. San Pedro is a large city, the industrial center of the country. Currently all commercial flights are going in and out of San Pedro.

The question is... what will become of the Toncontin airport? Obviously, it needs some fix ups to be able to be a safe airport. If it were shut down and the international airport be moved to Palmerola or San Pedro, the economic repercussions on the city could be disastrous. Already, only one week after the accident, Teguz hotels are reporting 50% vacancy. International organizations have moved their events and travel through El Salvador and Guatemala. According to CCIT, a commerce and industry reporting group, there is an estimated a loss of 400 million Lempiras in the hotel, tourism, food and car rental sectors. (More than $21 millionUSD). The loss of an international airport would mean a loss of many things, including jobs, businesses, and tourism. (Source: El Heraldo)

On another sad note, Honduras was listed by the UN as a country most vulnerable to a world food shortage. Vulnerable. That is what word comes to mind. Pray for the government of Honduras to make a wise decision about the future international airport.