Yes — open-air smoking outside the terminal building, landside, is permitted under Honduras’s Decreto 92-2010 (Ley Especial para el Control del Tabaco); Palmerola International Airport (XPL) publishes no designated area and lists no smoking facility after security.

Palmerola sits near Comayagua, about 80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa, and opened as a commercial airport in December 2021 on the grounds of the former Soto Cano military air base. It became Honduras’s gateway for the capital region when the government moved all international flights there from the old in-city Toncontín Airport. Toncontín now handles domestic routes only; Palmerola carries the scheduled international traffic for Tegucigalpa and central Honduras.

Outside the Terminal, Landside

Open-air smoking outside the terminal building, landside, is permitted under Decreto 92-2010, which bans smoking inside enclosed spaces such as the terminal. Palmerola publishes no designated smoking area.

After Security

The terminal at Palmerola is smoke-free past the checkpoint, and the airport lists no smoking facility after security.

Vaping

Decreto 92-2010 defines e-cigarettes as a tobacco product, so vaping at Palmerola follows the same rule as cigarettes — not permitted inside the terminal, open-air only landside.

Summary

AreaSmokingNotes
Indoor terminalNoSmoke-free under Decreto 92-2010
After security / airsideNoNo facility after security listed at Palmerola
Outdoor, landsidePermittedPalmerola publishes no designated area
VapingLandside onlyE-cigarettes defined as tobacco under Decreto 92-2010

Honduras’s other major gateway, Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport (SAP) serving San Pedro Sula, follows the same national-law pattern.

For Honduras airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Honduras airport smoking guide.

Palmerola International Airport — official site

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are there smoking areas at Palmerola International Airport (XPL)?

Yes — open-air smoking outside the terminal building, landside, is permitted under Honduras’s Decreto 92-2010. Palmerola publishes no designated area and lists no smoking facility after security.

Is there a smoking area after security at Palmerola Airport?

Smoke outside the terminal building before you go through — the terminal at Palmerola is smoke-free past the checkpoint, and the airport lists no smoking facility after security.

Why does this guide cover Palmerola (XPL) and not Toncontín (TGU)?

Palmerola took over as Tegucigalpa’s international airport when Honduras moved all scheduled international flights there on 15 December 2021 under decree PCM-199-2021. Toncontín, the old airport inside Tegucigalpa itself, now handles domestic flights only, so XPL is the airport international travellers actually use.

Where can I smoke at Palmerola Airport?

Outside the terminal building, landside, where Honduran law permits open-air smoking. Palmerola does not publish a signed or designated spot.

Are e-cigarettes and vapes allowed at Palmerola Airport?

Yes — in the open air outside the terminal, landside, the same as cigarettes. Honduras’s Decreto 92-2010 defines e-cigarettes as a tobacco product, so vaping is not permitted inside the terminal.

How busy is Palmerola Airport?

Palmerola handled 772,407 passengers in the first nine months of 2024, its third full year of operation.