Bir Tikendrajit International Airport — Imphal, India

IMF connects Imphal, capital of the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, to Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, and other cities across a country where the northeast's hill terrain has historically made surface travel slow and difficult. IMF's name honors a Manipuri prince executed by British colonial forces in the late nineteenth century after resistance during the Anglo-Manipur War, a choice reflecting strong regional pride in local history. Surrounded by hills and situated near the Myanmar border, Imphal and its airport occupy a strategically sensitive corner of India, and IMF has periodically expanded its terminal capacity as both civilian traffic and security-related travel have grown. For many residents of Manipur and neighboring states, the airport represents the fastest and often only practical way to reach the rest of India, given the mountainous roads connecting the region to the plains below.