La Tontouta International Airport — Nouméa (La Tontouta), New Caledonia

La Tontouta International Airport takes its name not from Nouméa itself but from the valley roughly 50 kilometers northwest of the capital, where American forces built the airfield during the Second World War as a staging base for operations across the South Pacific. That wartime legacy explains why NOU still operates one of the longer runways in the region relative to its passenger traffic, a strip originally sized for military transport rather than commercial demand. Today the airport serves as New Caledonia's principal international gateway, connecting this French special collectivity to Australia, Japan, and mainland France, largely through Aircalin, the territory's flag carrier. Nickel mining remains central to the economy, and cargo tied to that industry moves alongside tourists drawn to the territory's lagoons, among the largest in the world and recognized for their coral reefs. The distance to Nouméa's center means ground transfers factor into most travelers' plans.