Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin — Darwin, Australia

Darwin International Airport shares its runways with Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, a joint civil-military arrangement reflecting the Northern Territory capital's role as a forward defense outpost facing Southeast Asia. The airport, coded DRW, sits atop a site with grim historical weight: Darwin suffered the largest single attack on Australian soil when Japanese aircraft bombed the city and harbor in February 1942, and wartime infrastructure still influences the airfield's layout. Today the facility functions as the main gateway to Australia's tropical Top End, connecting travelers to Kakadu National Park, Litchfield, and the remote Arnhem Land region, while also serving as a refueling and transit point for flights between Australia, Southeast Asia, and beyond. Monsoonal wet-season storms periodically disrupt schedules between November and April. Cruise ship passengers and overland travelers heading north frequently pass through its modest but steadily growing terminal.