Ürümqi Tianshan International Airport — Ürümqi, China

Ürümqi Tianshan International Airport, coded URC, is the largest and busiest airport in China's far northwest, serving Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Named after the nearby Tianshan mountain range, the airport occupies a strategic position along historic Silk Road routes linking China to Central Asia, and it now functions as a major hub for China Southern Airlines and other carriers flying between eastern China and cities across Central Asia. Ürümqi is often described as one of the most inland cities on Earth, sitting thousands of kilometers from any ocean, which makes air transport especially important for passengers and freight moving through the region. The airport has expanded considerably in recent decades, adding terminals and runway capacity to match Xinjiang's growth and its role in China's trade links westward into Central Asia.