Cotonou Cadjehoun International Airport — Cotonou, Benin

Occupying a compact site hemmed in by the dense residential neighborhoods of Cotonou, Benin's largest city and commercial engine even though Porto-Novo holds the formal title of capital, COO functions as one of West Africa's busier secondary gateways, its single runway sitting remarkably close to city streets and the Atlantic shoreline alike. Cadjehoun, the surrounding district that lends the airport its fuller name, sits only minutes from downtown, a convenience that comes at the cost of limited room for future expansion. Regional carriers use Cotonou as a connecting point for travelers moving between coastal West African capitals, while landlocked Niger and parts of northern Nigeria route a meaningful share of imported goods through the adjacent Port of Cotonou and onward through this terminal. Passenger numbers have grown steadily alongside Benin's economy, even as aging infrastructure and the tight urban footprint continue to shape discussions about the airport's long-term capacity.