Palmerola International Airport (XPL) Guide: Palmerola / Comayagua, Honduras

Palmerola International Airport is Honduras’s newer central gateway, built to serve Comayagua and replace much of Tegucigalpa’s former international traffic. XPL has better runway logistics than old Toncontin, but it is far from Tegucigalpa, so the ground transfer is the deciding detail for many travelers.

This guide is written for travelers who want the useful details first: the real airport name, where it sits, how much to budget for transport, what to expect in the terminal, where to search for flights, and which services to arrange before landing. Prices and routes are updated for June 2026 and should be treated as practical planning ranges rather than fixed promises.

Quick airport facts

Item	Details
Full airport name	Palmerola International Airport
Short codes	XPL / MHPR
Also searched as	Comayagua International Airport, Palmerola Airport, XPL Airport, Tegucigalpa Palmerola Airport
City and country	Palmerola / Comayagua, Honduras
Practical address	Palmerola International Airport, Comayagua Valley, Honduras; coordinates 14.382400, -87.621201.
Distance to city	About 8-10 km from Comayagua and roughly 70-80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa; transfers to the capital commonly take 75-120 minutes.
Updated	2026-06-15

Best for: Tegucigalpa-area international flights, Comayagua, central Honduras, business travel, and U.S./Central America connections.
Main route logic: U.S. routes, Panama, San Salvador, Mexico, Madrid/Spain links, and selected regional/low-cost services.
Airport style: modern airport with buses/shuttles, taxis, car rental, food, shops, parking, and longer city transfers.
Planning rule: budget time and money for the Tegucigalpa transfer; Comayagua is close, Tegucigalpa is not.

Address and location

Use Palmerola International Airport (XPL) for flight searches and Comayagua International Airport, Palmerola Airport, XPL Airport, Tegucigalpa Palmerola Airport as backup search wording in maps, hotel messages, and taxi conversations. The practical address is:

Palmerola International Airport, Comayagua Valley, Honduras; coordinates 14.382400, -87.621201.

About 8-10 km from Comayagua and roughly 70-80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa; transfers to the capital commonly take 75-120 minutes. For a serious itinerary, save the airport coordinates offline, download the city area in Google Maps or Organic Maps, and keep your hotel address in both English and the local language where possible.

How to get from the airport to the city

Option	Typical time	Approximate cost	Best use
Transfer/shuttle to Tegucigalpa	75-120 min	Often USD 15-35 shared; more private	🚌 Best budget capital transfer.
Taxi/private car to Tegucigalpa	75-120 min	Often USD 60-120+	🚕 Best door-to-door transfer.
Taxi to Comayagua	10-20 min	Often USD 10-25	🚕 Best local transfer.
Rental car	10-150+ min	Varies by season	🚗 Best for central Honduras road trips.

Palmerola’s official and airport-guide sources point travelers to bus/shuttle-style connections, taxis, ride-hailing, and rental cars. The key planning point is that the airport is central-Honduras convenient, not central-Tegucigalpa convenient.

Transport tips

🧾 Confirm the fare before loading luggage, especially when there is no visible meter or posted rate.
📍 Save the exact hotel pin offline; airport drivers may know districts better than street names.
💵 Carry small local cash for the first transfer, baggage carts, snacks, or phone calls.
🌐 Install an eSIM before departure so you can message your driver immediately after landing.

Public transport and metro

Palmerola/Comayagua has no airport metro. Use shuttle, taxi, ride-hailing where available, private transfer, or rental car.

Where public transport exists, it is usually best for daylight arrivals with light luggage. For late flights, family travel, heavy bags, or first-time visits, a taxi, hotel transfer, or pre-booked private driver is usually worth the extra cost.

Taxi prices and transfer strategy

Taxi prices around airports are rarely as neat as an official table. Time of day, luggage, driver availability, fuel prices, and whether the destination is inside or outside the central city all matter. The ranges above are realistic planning budgets, but the best practice is simple: agree the fare before moving, keep your phone map open, and avoid changing money with random drivers.

For smoother arrival logistics:

🚕 Use official taxi ranks or a hotel-arranged driver where available.
🧳 Pre-book a transfer if you land late, carry equipment, or travel with children.
🚗 Compare rental cars before arrival with DiscoverCars if you need regional freedom.
🏨 Use Expedia to check hotels near the airport and in the city before choosing a transfer.

Airport facilities, shops, and restaurants

Modern terminal with check-in, baggage, immigration/customs, cafes/restaurants, shops, duty-free, ATMs, car rental, taxis, buses/shuttles, parking, and assistance services.
If arriving late, book the Tegucigalpa transfer before landing.
For Comayagua, the airport is very convenient; for capital meetings, schedule the road transfer realistically.
Compare XPL with SAP when traveling to northern Honduras because road distances differ greatly.

The smart rule at XPL is to treat the terminal as a transfer point rather than as a shopping destination. Eat before arriving when possible, keep a refillable bottle where security rules allow, and bring a small power bank. If you have a long delay, an airport-area hotel or city hotel is usually more comfortable than waiting in the terminal.

Airlines and where the airport flies

FlightConnections and FlightsFrom show Palmerola with a focused network of roughly eight destinations and around six airlines. Search Miami, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Panama City, San Salvador, Mexico City, Madrid, and seasonal/low-cost U.S. or Spain links where scheduled.

American Airlines, United, Copa Airlines, Avianca, Aeromexico, Iberojet/Air Europa-style Spain service, Spirit or other low-cost carriers by season, and regional operators are the names to compare by date.

Cheap routes to check first

Palmerola to Miami, Houston, or Dallas: key U.S. benchmarks.
Palmerola to Panama City, San Salvador, or Mexico City: regional connection checks.
XPL to Madrid/Spain links: useful Europe benchmark when operating.

Cheap airport strategy is different from simply sorting by lowest fare. Always compare the final cost after checked baggage, seat selection, payment fees, transfer costs, and missed-connection risk. A slightly more expensive flight into the correct airport can be cheaper than a low base fare that forces a long taxi ride or overnight hotel.

Where to buy flights and hotels

Start with broad searches, then verify the exact airport code before paying. This is especially important in cities with more than one airport or with airport transitions.

Need	Recommended booking link	Why it matters
Internet on arrival	🌐 Yesim eSIM	Install before flying so maps, airline apps, WhatsApp, and hotel messages work as soon as you land.
Flights and hotels	🏨 Expedia flights and stays	Useful for comparing nearby hotels, airport overnights, and onward tickets in one search.
Tours and transfers	🎟️ Viator tours and airport transfers	Best for guided city tours, day trips, private arrival transfers, and skip-the-line activities.
Rental cars	🚗 DiscoverCars	Compare local and international rental agencies before accepting a walk-up airport rate.
Travel medical insurance	🛡️ SafetyWing	Check coverage, exclusions, and country wording before travel, especially on complex itineraries.
Support this airport-guide project	🤝 Patreon: HEDONISMcloud	Helps keep airport guides updated with fares, route changes, and city transport notes.

eSIM, internet, insurance, and car rental

🌐 Internet: install Yesim eSIM before the flight. Airport Wi-Fi can be slow, blocked by SMS verification, or unavailable exactly when you need maps.
🛡️ Insurance: compare policy wording with SafetyWing. Read exclusions for the destination, adventure activities, medical evacuation, political/security events, and pre-existing conditions.
🚗 Cars: compare vehicles on DiscoverCars before arrival. Airport counters can run out of automatic cars or quote higher walk-up rates.
🎟️ Tours: use Viator for airport transfers, city tours, day trips, and guided experiences when independent transport is inconvenient.

Practical arrival checklist

Before you fly	Why it matters
Check the IATA code on the ticket	Prevents booking a hotel or transfer for the wrong airport.
Save airline, hotel, and driver contacts offline	Messaging apps may not work until data is active.
Carry local cash	Useful for taxis, snacks, and small airport expenses.
Recheck live departures	Regional schedules can change more quickly than major-hub schedules.
Keep insurance documents accessible	Helps at medical facilities and during airline disruption.

Safety and travel notes

Use arranged transport for the long Tegucigalpa transfer, especially after dark. Road time and security guidance should be part of the ticket decision.

The most reliable traveler is the boringly prepared traveler: documents printed, data working, transport confirmed, hotel address saved, and enough time between every moving part of the itinerary.

Short airport excursion idea

If you have a long layover or an overnight stop, choose one simple plan rather than trying to see everything. Stay close to the city center or a known hotel district, keep the return transfer booked, and avoid cutting the return to the airport too close. In smaller airports, a missed flight may mean waiting a day or more for the next practical departure.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Palmerola International Airport from Palmerola / Comayagua?

About 8-10 km from Comayagua and roughly 70-80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa; transfers to the capital commonly take 75-120 minutes.

How much is a taxi from XPL airport?

Typical taxi planning ranges are shown in the transport table above. The safest method is to confirm the price before loading luggage and to use a hotel-arranged driver when arriving late or visiting for the first time.

Are there restaurants and shops at Palmerola International Airport?

Yes, but the depth of choice depends on the airport size and operating schedule. Expect practical cafes or snack options at smaller airports and a better range at major hubs. Carry backup snacks and water for delays.

Which airlines should I check first?

Is there a metro to the airport?