The History of Boston Logan International Airport

DALLAS — Boston has a rich history of being one of the primary gateways to the United States. As the closest major American city to Europe, Boston is home to millions of people who, over the years, have crossed the Atlantic, initially arriving at the city’s seaport on ocean liners. 

Thanks to the decline of sea travel, the town quickly became one of the country’s most important hubs for air travel. 

Today, the airport accommodates approximately 20 million passengers annually. Having invested heavily in improving its facilities, the airport aims to maintain its competitive edge in the years to come.

Early Years

Like many airports today, Boston’s airport has its roots in military history, specifically with the United States Army Air Corps, which opened an airfield at Jeffries Point on September 8, 1923. 

Boston Airport would remain a military installation for the first few years of its existence, before receiving its first commercial service in 1927 from Colonial Air Transport, which flew from Boston to New York under an air mail contract. Colonial was one of the first airlines founded by Juan Trippe, the man who would later establish Pan American Airways.

At this point, Logan airport was a simple grass strip and four hangars, built on sand and reclaimed land, which is essentially how it would remain until the outbreak of the Second World War. With Boston being the closest American city to Europe, it quickly became a central logistical hub once America entered the war in 1941.

During this period, the airport expanded its facilities to meet the growing demand for air travel. The airport’s expansion led to the reclaiming of three islands in Boston Harbor: Governor, Noodle, and Apple islands, to provide space for new runways and terminals.

With the airport’s proximity to Europe, airlines soon found a large market at Boston’s newly expanded airport, with the likes of Pan Am, BOAC, Air France, and TWA, among others, all capitalizing on Boston’s location and importance to the global economy. They would initially go via Shannon or the Azores for fuel stops. 

Still, Boston’s proximity to Europe meant that it was one of the first cities in North America to receive non-stop trans-Atlantic flights in the early 1950s. BOAC’s Stratocruisers initially flew this route; however, it upgraded to jet power with the introduction of the De Havilland Comet in 1952.

Services would continue to grow, with the likes of Aer Lingus, as well as other more local airlines, such as Mohawk, National, United Airlines (UA), Northeastern, and American Airlines (AA), all serving the city by 1958.

Named After a Boston Native

This was also the decade in which the airport’s name would officially become “Logan Airport”, as declared by an act of state legislation, naming it after Major General Edward Lawrence Logan, a senior American army officer, politician, and Boston native.

He served his state in the United States House of Representatives, as well as in the Massachusetts National Guard, from which he was deployed to France during World War I. His legacy was sought to be continued through the naming of his city’s airfield in his honor.

By the end of the 1950s, Logan Airport (BOS) had taken mainly its current shape; however, it still had far smaller terminals for the smaller aircraft that served the city. Expansion was the main goal throughout the 11960sand onwards, in anticipation of larger planes in larger numbers, and therefore, more passengers. The airport had already entered the jet age in the 1950s, but the era-defining moment came with the 1970 debut of the Boeing 747. 

With the arrival of the Pan Am brand, the airport would initially serve as the hub for the airline’s daily service between Boston and London Heathrow (LHR). To supplement the new influx of jumbo jet traffic, the airport opened Terminal E, one of the largest facilities of its kind at the time, and played a crucial role in the airport’s significant traffic expansion in the coming decades.

Boston Logan Airport Today

Today, Boston Logan is the 16th busiest airport in the United States by passenger boardings. It serves as a hub for Delta Air Lines (DL) and JetBlue (B6), as well as hosting smaller transatlantic operations from AA. 

Although not the largest city in the U.S., Boston serves as a hub for many important regions globally. European cities, such as London, Paris, and Dublin, are among the top three international destinations, with British Airways notably operating its flagship Airbus A380 on services from London Heathrow during peak season.

Logan airport also plays host to Cape Air (9K), a small operation comprised of nine Cessna 402’s that operate to smaller communities the region, such as Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Provincetown, among others, and making Boston one of the few airports where a Cessna and an a380 can be seen in the same line for departure.

Accessibility has been a problem for Logan Airport for many years, with complaints of long queues for car passengers, and public transportation not exactly alleviating the issue. As a result, the airport invested US$2 billion to improve its facilities, including an expansion of long-stay parking, enhanced drop-off accessibility, and the renovation and expansion of Terminal E, the airport’s international terminal.

In this expansion, Terminal E was rebuilt primarily, with a new façade and red roof, as well as new and improved facilities, including check-in and security areas, along with an enhanced overall ergonomic design. In addition, the terminal received four new gates, thereby reducing wait times for passengers. The expansion opened in mid-2023, albeit with little fanfare, as work was still ongoing at the time of its unveiling.

While not the largest or busiest on the East Coast, BOS has been one of the most historically consequential airports built in the United States. During its 102-year history, the site has been a pioneer in passenger traffic in the country, serving as one of the most important gateways for migrants, cargo, and economic stimulation to the region and the wider country. 

The airport currently has no plans for another major expansion, but it continues to make a significant contribution, serving as an essential component in the global air travel network.