Aeroparque Jorge Newbery — Buenos Aires, Argentina

Unlike most major South American cities, Buenos Aires keeps its domestic and short-haul airport right on the waterfront within city limits, a short taxi ride from downtown rather than the distant international airport at Ezeiza. Named for Jorge Newbery, an early Argentine aviation pioneer who died testing an airship in 1914, the airport rises a mere 18 feet above the Río de la Plata and relies on one runway built largely on reclaimed land jutting into the river. That central location makes Aeroparque, as locals call it, the preferred choice for Argentina's dense network of domestic routes and short regional hops to neighboring countries like Uruguay, while long-haul international flights mostly use Ezeiza instead. The airport's position means departing and arriving aircraft pass close to some of the city's most expensive real estate in neighborhoods like Palermo and Recoleta, a source of periodic noise complaints from residents. Argentina's domestic airline network relies heavily on this single facility given the country's vast size and the practical need for Buenos Aires connections to reach provincial cities. For travelers connecting within Argentina, AEP usually proves far more convenient than the international airport despite handling a fraction of its long-haul traffic.