Mangaluru International Airport — Mangaluru, India

IXE occupies a hilltop plateau above Mangaluru on India's southwestern Konkan coast, one of a small number of Indian airports built on elevated tabletop terrain that leaves comparatively little margin for error during landing and takeoff. That geography drew grim international attention in 2010 when an Air India Express flight overran the runway on landing, a tragedy that prompted safety reviews of tabletop airports across the country and led to operational changes still referenced in discussions of Indian aviation safety. Beyond that history, the airport serves Karnataka's coastal Dakshina Kannada region, an area known for cashew processing, coffee cultivation in the nearby hills, and a substantial diaspora working in the Gulf states who rely heavily on the airport's international connections. Scheduled flights link IXE to Mumbai, Bengaluru, and several Middle Eastern cities, reflecting both domestic commerce and decades of labor migration abroad.