Diori Hamani International Airport — Niamey, Niger

Niger's capital straddles the Niger River at the edge of the Sahel, and its airport carries the name of Hamani Diori, the country's first president after independence from France in 1960. NIM functions as the principal air link for a landlocked nation with limited paved road infrastructure connecting it to neighboring West African states, handling a mix of civilian traffic and, for periods over the past two decades, a foreign military presence supporting regional counterterrorism and security operations across the wider Sahel. Scheduled international service typically includes connections to Paris, Istanbul, and a scattering of regional capitals, reflecting both Niger's colonial-era ties to France and its ongoing economic relationships within West Africa. Niamey's population has grown rapidly in recent decades even as the country grapples with recurring droughts, food insecurity, and political upheaval, and the airport remains a critical channel for humanitarian aid, diplomatic missions, and the relatively modest flow of business travel into the country.