Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport — Olbia (SS), Italy

The glamour of Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, developed from the 1960s onward by a consortium led by the Aga Khan into one of the Mediterranean's most exclusive yacht and resort destinations, drives the sharply seasonal traffic pattern at the airport serving it, identified by the code OLB and located in the considerably less glitzy town of Olbia rather than amid the coastal resorts themselves. Summer months bring a flood of charter and low-cost flights from across Europe, filling a single runway with far more traffic than the airport handles during the quieter winter season, when Sardinia's tourism economy slows dramatically. Wealthy visitors bound for the exclusive marinas and villas along the Costa Smeralda often continue their journey from Olbia by car or helicopter rather than staying near the airport. OLB's passenger numbers during peak season rank among the highest of any Sardinian airport, rivaling even Cagliari.