Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH, ICAO: RCKH) traces its origins to a military airbase established in the Siaogang District of southern Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era. The site was converted for civilian domestic use on 1 July 1965, and upgraded to international status in 1969, with scheduled international service beginning in 1972. A dedicated international terminal, equipped with jet bridges, opened in 1997 and separated the passenger flows that the older domestic terminal had previously handled alone.

The airport operates a single east-west runway, designated 09/27 and stretching 3,150 metres. Two terminals sit side by side, joined by a corridor: the international terminal handles overseas and cross-strait flights, while the domestic terminal serves island routes to Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and Hualien. KHH is a hub for Mandarin Airlines and Uni Air. Internationally, China Airlines, EVA Air, Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines, AirAsia, and a range of other carriers connect the airport to destinations including Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Osaka, and Ho Chi Minh City. The airport is Taiwan's second busiest by passenger volume.

In 2008, Kaohsiung became the first city in Taiwan to connect its airport directly to a subway network, when the Kaohsiung MRT Red Line (station R4) opened beneath the terminal. The direct rail link placed the city centre within roughly 20 minutes of the gate. A new East Terminal is under construction and expected around 2032. The airport sits within the urban boundary of Kaohsiung rather than on its outskirts, meaning arrivals emerge quickly into a city known as much for its working port as for its aspirations as a modern metropolis.