Hong Kong International Airport — Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Built almost entirely on land reclaimed from the sea around the flattened islands of Chek Lap Kok, HKG opened in 1998 to replace the notoriously tight approach into old Kai Tak, where pilots once had to bank sharply between apartment blocks before touching down. Since then it has repeatedly ranked among the world's busiest airports for cargo, leveraging Hong Kong's position as a finance and trading crossroads between mainland China and the rest of the world. Cathay Pacific anchors the passenger side of operations, running an extensive long-haul network from a territory with a comparatively small home population but an outsized role in global logistics and airfreight. The airport sits on its own dedicated island connected to Hong Kong proper by bridges and a dedicated express rail line, and its terminal complex has expanded multiple times to keep pace with relentless growth in both passenger and freight demand.