Jose Maria Córdova International Airport — Medellín, Colombia

José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) sits in Rionegro, a mountain town roughly 40 minutes from central Medellín, Colombia, at an elevation that places it among the higher commercial airports in South America. The airport commemorates José María Córdova, a general who fought in the wars of independence against Spain, and it now serves as the main gateway to Colombia's Antioquia region. Because it perches in a valley surrounded by Andean peaks, MDE offers dramatic approaches and departures, with aircraft climbing steeply over green mountainside terrain rather than flat lowland. It handles both Avianca's domestic network and a growing set of international routes connecting Medellín to the United States, Europe, and other parts of Latin America, reflecting the city's transformation from its troubled past into a business and tourism destination. Ground transport into Medellín typically takes passengers down winding mountain roads into the valley below.