Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport — Ngawa (Songpan), China

Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport (JZH) is one of the highest airports in the world by elevation, sitting at roughly 3,448 meters in the mountainous Ngawa (Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan, China. Built specifically to serve tourism to the Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong scenic areas, both UNESCO World Heritage sites famous for colorful alpine lakes and travertine terraces, JZH sees heavy seasonal traffic from Chengdu and other major Chinese cities. Due to its extreme altitude, the airport requires specially adapted aircraft and longer runways to compensate for thinner air. Weather and cloud cover around the surrounding peaks can cause frequent delays or cancellations. JZH essentially exists to funnel domestic and some international tourists into one of China's most visually striking natural regions, and traffic can fluctuate sharply based on scenic area closures, such as after regional earthquakes.