Boston Logan Airport: Size, Scale, And Reach

Boston Logan Airport, officially known as General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, is located in East Boston, Massachusetts, and is the main international airport serving the city of Boston. Covering 2,384 acres, it has six runways and four passenger terminals, connecting Boston and New England to over 100 domestic and international destinations. Despite having the second-smallest footprint among the top 20 major American airports, Boston Logan is one of the nation's busiest, serving over 40 million passengers annually.

Boston Logan Airport's location and transport links

Boston Logan International Airport is located in East Boston, with a small part in the Town of Winthrop, on Boston Harbour. The airport covers an area of 2,384 acres (965 ha) and is just 2.5 miles (4.0 km) northeast of Back Bay.

Road

The airport is accessible from I-93 through the Sumner and Callahan Tunnels, and I-90/Massachusetts Turnpike through the Ted Williams Tunnel.

Rail

The MBTA Silver Line SL1 bus connects all terminals with South Station in downtown Boston, which is served by MBTA Commuter Rail, Amtrak, the Red Line subway, and intercity buses. The SL1 is free of charge. The MBTA Blue Line subway can be reached via the free Massport Shuttle, which also serves all terminals. The Blue Line connects to the Orange Line at State station and the Green Line at Government Center station.

Ferry

Ferry services are available from the Logan Airport dock to Long Wharf (Downtown Boston), Hingham, and Hull.

Bus

The Logan Express bus service offers shuttle services to Back Bay, Braintree, Danvers, Framingham, and Woburn.

Taxi, Ride Share, and Private Bus Services

Taxis, limos, ride-share services, and private bus services connect the airport to points throughout New England.

The airport's terminals and facilities

Boston Logan Airport, officially known as General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, is located in East Boston and is about 3 miles from downtown Boston. It is the second-smallest airport among the top 20 major American airports in terms of physical size, but it is one of the busiest airports in the country. The airport covers 2,384 acres and has four passenger terminals (A, B, C, and E) and 106 gate positions.

Terminal A

Terminal A is composed of a Main Building and a Satellite Building, with a total of 21 gates. It is almost solely used by Delta Air Lines and features two Delta Sky Clubs. The terminal is environmentally friendly and is the first airport terminal in the US to be LEED-certified. Some of its eco-friendly features include heat-reflecting windows, low-flow faucets, self-dimming lights, and stormwater filtration.

Terminal B

Terminal B has gates from B1 to B38 and consists of North and South buildings. It was designed by John Carl Warnecke & Associates and Desmond & Lord, Inc. and first opened in 1974. Airlines that operate out of this terminal include Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American, Boutique Air, Southwest, Spirit, and United. Both American and United operate lounges in this terminal.

Terminal C

Terminal C has the most gates, with 27 in total: C8-C10, C11–C21, C25–C36, and C40–C42. It was designed by Perry, Shaw, Hepburn, and Dean and opened in 1967. The terminal underwent renovations in 1987, 2002, and 2005. Airlines that operate from this terminal include Aer Lingus, Cape Air, JetBlue (as their operating base), and TAP Air Portugal. The airport's USO Lounge is located in the baggage claim area of Terminal C.

Terminal E

Terminal E, also known as the John A. Volpe International Terminal, serves as the international terminal for the airport. It has 18 gates, including two for hard stand boarding and two flexible-use gates. This terminal handles most international arrivals, except for flights from origins with US Customs and Border Protection preclearance. The terminal has lounges for several airlines, including Air France, British Airways, Delta, Lufthansa, and Emirates. The third level is for departures, the second for passport control and customs, and the ground level for arrivals.

History and development of the airport

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) has grown to become one of the busiest airports in the US. The airport has seen significant expansion and development over the years, including the addition of a control tower and South Terminal.

The airport first opened on 8 September 1923 as Boston Air Port, a military airfield for the Massachusetts Air National Guard and the United States Army Air Corps. Commercial operations began in the mid-1920s, with the locally-based Colonial Air Transport offering flights as early as 1926. These were airmail-only flights serving a US Postal Service contract, with passenger services between Boston and New York commencing in 1927.

In 1928, ownership of the airport was transferred from the US Army to the Massachusetts Legislature, and then to the City of Boston in 1929. The airport was renamed in honour of Spanish-American War hero Edward Lawrence Logan, a 20th-century soldier and politician native to Boston.

During the 1940s and 1950s, the airport expanded rapidly due to the rise in demand for air travel. The airport added 1,800 acres of landfill in Boston Harbour, along with new terminal facilities by 1949. The horseshoe-shaped Boutwell Terminal Building (now Terminals B and C) was completed by the end of 1949 to accommodate the growing number of passengers.

In 1952, the airport became the first in the US with an indirect rapid transit connection when the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) opened a station on its Blue Line. The airport's first non-stop transcontinental service from Los Angeles to Boston began in 1953, and an eight-story control tower was built in 1955.

By the end of the 1950s, the airport had expanded to four runways and an expanded terminal with 45 gates. Jet operations began in 1959 with Pan American Airways' daily 707 service to Europe.

In 1956, the State Legislature created the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), which took over the airport's operations in 1959. The airport continued to expand in the 1960s, with the construction of an international terminal (where Terminal C is today) and the extension of the main runway.

The jumbo jet era began at Logan in the summer of 1970 when Pan Am started daily Boeing 747 service to London Heathrow. The Volpe International Terminal (Terminal E) opened in 1974, along with the first pier of the South Terminal (now Terminal B).

Between 1973 and 1976, two major infrastructure projects took place at a cost of $105 million. This included the construction of a new 22-story control tower, the largest in the world at the time, and the filling in of additional land to allow for increased cargo operations.

In the 1980s, annual passenger numbers at Logan Airport surpassed 15 million, leading to further improvements to the roadway system and the encouragement of mass transit over cars.

The $4.4 billion Logan Modernization Project in the late 1990s brought key landside improvements, including a new parking garage, hotel, and terminal expansions. Terminal A, the first new airline terminal since 1975, opened in 2005.

In 2017, British Airways started flying the Airbus A380 to Boston, followed by Emirates in 2019 and Lufthansa in 2023. The airport has continued to expand, with a new wing of the international terminal completed in 2023, adding four new gates.

Today, Boston Logan International Airport serves over 50 global airlines and offers connectivity to more than 100 destinations worldwide. It is the largest airport in New England and one of the busiest airports in the US, handling over 40 million passengers annually.

Airlines and destinations

Boston Logan Airport (BOS) is a hub for over 40 airlines, connecting Boston and New England to more than 80 non-stop domestic destinations and over 50 non-stop international destinations.

Terminal A

Delta Air Lines and WestJet operate out of Terminal A, which has 21 gates in total. The main terminal has 11 gates (A1–A11), while the satellite terminal has 10 (A13–A22). There are two Delta Sky Clubs at this terminal, one in the main building and one in the satellite building.

Terminal B

Terminal B operates domestic flights only and has 39 gates (B1–B12, B14–B31, B31A, B32–B35, B35A, and B36–B40). There are two security checkpoints, and two lounges: an American Airlines Admirals Club and a United Club.

Terminal C

Terminal C operates domestic and international flights and has 31 gates (C8–C12, C14–C34, C36, and E1, E1A, E2, and E3). The Lounge is located in the northwest leg of the terminal.

Terminal E

Terminal E is the main international terminal at BOS. It has 18 gates (E1, E1A, E2, E3, E4–E12, E13, and E16). There are two security checkpoints, and several airline lounges, including British Airways, Delta, Lufthansa, Emirates, and Virgin Atlantic.

Domestic

• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• JetBlue
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines
• TAP Air Portugal
• United Airlines
• Etihad
• Azores Airlines

International

• London–Heathrow, UK
• Paris–Charles de Gaulle, France
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Reykjavík–Keflavík, Iceland
• Zurich, Switzerland
• Toronto–Pearson, Canada
• Dubai–International
• Atlanta, US
• Austin, US
• Cancun, Mexico
• Charleston, US
• Chicago–O'Hare, US
• Cincinnati, US
• Dallas/Fort Worth, US
• Denver, US
• Detroit, US
• Fort Lauderdale, US
• Fort Myers, US
• Jacksonville, US
• Kansas City, US
• Las Vegas, US
• Los Angeles, US
• Miami, US
• Milwaukee, US
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, US
• Nashville, US
• New Orleans, US
• New York–JFK, US
• New York–LaGuardia, US
• Orlando, US
• Paris–Charles de Gaulle, France
• Phoenix–Sky Harbor, US
• Raleigh/Durham, US
• Salt Lake City, US
• San Antonio, US
• San Diego, US
• San Francisco, US
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Seattle/Tacoma, US
• Tampa, US
• Tel Aviv, Israel
• West Palm Beach, US

Passenger statistics

Boston Logan International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States, serving as a global gateway for Massachusetts and New England. In 2024, the airport saw 43.5 million passengers, the most in its history.

The airport has four passenger terminals (A, B, C, and E) and 106 gate positions. All terminals offer ticketing, baggage claim, ground transportation services, free Wi-Fi, and food and retail options. Terminals B and E also have parking garages.

In June 2024, there were 37,701 flights, 753 routes, and 110 airlines operating at the airport. The number of passengers using Logan Airport per month has also been increasing. In June 2023, 1,834,658 passengers used the airport, representing a 10.65% increase compared to June 2022.

Logan Airport is the largest airport in Massachusetts and the New England region in terms of passenger volume and cargo handling. It is also the busiest airport in the Northeastern United States outside the New York metropolitan area. The airport offers non-stop service to destinations throughout the United States and the world, with over 40 airlines flying nonstop to more than 100 domestic and international destinations.

The airport is a hub for several major airlines, including Cape Air, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, American Airlines, and United Airlines. These airlines offer daily transcontinental flights and flights to their primary and secondary hubs.

Frequently asked questions