Cases of malaria occasionally arise among individuals who have never visited a malarious area. Such patients, who also lack a history of blood transfusions or intravenous drug abuse, are usually shown to have "airport malaria". Most reports of airport malaria consist of case histories, although some epidemiological reviews have also appeared. The clinical and epidemiological features of 29 cases of airport malaria that were reported in Europe from 1969 to 1988 are reviewed here. Although airport malaria is rare, the apparent absence of risk factors for the disease in a patient's history can result in delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Tests to exclude malaria should therefore be carried out on patients who work at or live near an international airport and who present with acute febrile illnesses.