Geilenkirchen Air Base — Geilenkirchen, Germany

GKE refers to Geilenkirchen Air Base, a military airfield located near Geilenkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, close to the Dutch border. Unlike the commercial or regional airports elsewhere on this list, GKE is best known as the home of NATO's Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS, fleet, operated multinationally to provide airborne surveillance and command capabilities across the alliance. The base has functioned in this role for decades, making it a distinctive facility in European military aviation rather than a passenger travel hub. GKE occasionally handles limited civilian or charter traffic, but its primary identity remains tied to NATO operations, personnel rotations, and the specialized aircraft and crews supporting the AWACS mission based there.