Marsa Alam International Airport — Marsa Alam, Egypt

Carved out of the desert along Egypt's southern Red Sea coastline, RMF opened in 2001 to serve a stretch of shoreline that had almost no infrastructure a generation earlier and has since become one of the country's fastest-growing diving and beach destinations. Unlike most Egyptian airports, it was developed through a private concession rather than built solely by the state, reflecting the resort industry's direct stake in expanding air access to towns like Port Ghalib and Marsa Shagra. The surrounding coast is prized for coral reefs, seagrass beds frequented by dugongs, and dive sites that draw visitors from across Europe. RMF operates largely as a seasonal charter airport, with traffic swelling during winter months as northern Europeans escape colder weather. Its terminal design echoes traditional Nubian architecture, and the airport now handles far more passengers than the small fishing town it serves might otherwise suggest.