The Government of Honduras finalized this Friday the sale of the Embraer Legacy 600 presidential plane for an amount of 137 million 776 thousand 390 lempiras, after the Mexican company Thebe Ingeniería & Consultoría, based in Toluca, presented the only bid during the international public auction Sedena BM-001-2026, held at the Hernán Acosta Mejía Air Base, in Tegucigalpa.
The sale was carried out under the coordination of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) and the National Directorate of State Assets (DNBE), institutions that supervised the process of receiving and opening bids in accordance with the established schedule. The authorities assured that the procedure was conducted with criteria of legality, transparency, and accountability, also counting on institutional oversight mechanisms.
The representative of Thebe Ingeniería & Consultoría, Jonathan González, explained that the company decided to participate after its pilots and technicians carried out a detailed inspection of the aircraft and verified that it was in favorable operating conditions.
“The starting price of the auction was very good and, after having carried out the inspection with both our pilots and our technicians, we decided to participate,” González stated to reporters after the award was announced.
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The Superior Court of Accounts and the Attorney General’s Office participated as observers of the process. The presidential plane was acquired by the Honduran State in 2014 during the administration of Juan Orlando Hernández.
The businessman pointed out that the company chose to submit a bid higher than the base price established in the auction terms, increasing the proposal by one million lempiras with respect to the initial value set by the Honduran Government.
Likewise, he acknowledged that they were surprised to have been the only participants in the process, although he described the acquisition as a favorable opportunity to strengthen the company’s operations.
“It is an opportunity price. We were aware that it was an auction and we are surprised to be the only bidders; I think we got lucky,” he expressed.
González announced that the Embraer Legacy 600 will be incorporated into the air taxi fleet that the company operates in different states of Mexico and on international routes. However, he indicated that before entering service, it will undergo a series of technical and aesthetic adjustments.
The planned work includes modifications to the aircraft’s interior, maintenance inspections, and the registration process under Mexican aeronautical regulations, an essential requirement for the aircraft to officially operate in that country.
The Embraer Legacy 600 will be incorporated into air taxi operations in Mexico. The aircraft will undergo interior modifications and maintenance checks before operating. (Photo: El Heraldo)
The company representative indicated that they are already working on a logistical plan to transport the aircraft to Mexican territory in the shortest time possible and complete all procedures required by the aeronautical authorities.
Hours before the award, Sedena began the formal reception of bids from 9:00 in the morning, following the official schedule established for the international auction. To guarantee the transparency of the process, the institution formed an Auction and Oversight Committee, composed of personnel from the Administrative Management and Internal Audit departments.
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In addition, the procedure was attended by representatives of the Superior Court of Accounts (TSC) and the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), who participated as institutional observers during the development of the auction.
The authorities indicated that the sale is part of a strategy of responsible management of public assets, aimed at optimizing State resources through the disposal of assets considered expendable for public administration.
Jonathan González explained that the company decided to participate after inspecting the aircraft. Sedena and the DNBE supervised the development of the international public auction.
According to official records, the Embraer Legacy 600 was acquired during the administration of former president Juan Orlando Hernández for an approximate value of 14 million dollars and was delivered to the Honduran State in October 2014 to be used as the presidential plane.
Subsequently, on January 26, 2026, the National Congress authorized its sale as part of an initiative promoted by the administration of President Nasry Asfura, with the objective of alienating the aircraft through an international public auction process.
With the official award to the Mexican company, the Government will proceed with the necessary administrative and legal procedures to formalize the transfer of ownership and allow the aircraft to be moved to Mexico, where it will be integrated into the commercial operations of Thebe Ingeniería & Consultoría.
