Rio Grande do Norte/São Gonçalo do Amarante–Governador Aluízio Alves International Airport — Natal, Brazil

Brazil's northeasternmost airport occupies a geographic curiosity: Natal sits closer to parts of Europe and Africa than to São Paulo, a fact that made the region strategically vital during the Second World War. NAT, officially named for former Rio Grande do Norte governor Aluízio Alves, opened in 2014 at São Gonçalo do Amarante to replace the aging Augusto Severo Airport that had served the city for decades. During WWII, the nearby Parnamirim Field became a critical Allied staging post, ferrying aircraft and supplies across the South Atlantic toward North Africa, earning Natal the nickname Trampoline to Victory. Today the airport serves a very different purpose, funneling sun-seeking tourists toward Natal's dune-fringed beaches, Genipabu's buggy rides, and the region's growing reputation as a low-key alternative to Brazil's better-known coastal cities. Modern facilities and a longer runway than its predecessor let it handle larger aircraft on both domestic and select international routes.