Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport — Constanța, Romania

Perched on the steppe just inland from Romania's Black Sea coast, CND shares its runways with a major Romanian Air Force base and, in recent years, a growing NATO presence tied to allied deterrence efforts along the alliance's eastern flank. The airport takes its name from Mihail Kogălniceanu, a nineteenth-century statesman, historian, and reformer who served as Romania's prime minister and helped shape the modern state. Civilian traffic serves Constanța, the country's largest port city and a summer magnet for tourists heading to the Mamaia beach resort strip, even though the terminal sits a considerable drive from the city center. American forces first used the base extensively around the turn of the millennium as a logistics and staging point for operations in the Middle East, and construction projects since Russia's invasion of Ukraine have expanded facilities considerably. The long military-grade runway, built to handle heavy transport and fighter aircraft, easily accommodates the comparatively modest schedule of civilian passenger flights.