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Jeremy Siegel
GBH News
Massport broke ground today on a facility in Braintree that will allow travelers along the South Shore to park, check bags and clear security miles away from Logan Airport, before heading directly to their terminals on a secure bus.
Following the success of a pilot program launched in Framingham earlier this year, airport officials are constructing the first permanent remote terminal at the Braintree Logan Express building near the South Shore Plaza.
The site is currently home to a park-and-ride facility, where passengers can park their cars and catch shuttles to Logan operated by Massport. They still, however, need to brave TSA security and bag check at the airport before heading to their gates.
Once construction on the new remote terminal is complete, travelers will be able to check luggage and go through security in Braintree. That means they will get taken by bus right to their gates at the airport, bypassing Logan’s security lines.
The project is part of a $500 million renovation of the Braintree Logan Express site, which will include two eight-level parking garages, in addition to the remote terminal building. According to Massport, the remote terminal facility is expected to open to passengers by the end of 2028.
Airport officials say the plan aims to build on the success of their first-in-the-nation pilot program launched in Framingham in June. According to Massport data released in July, the pilot served 10,000 passengers in its first month and experienced steady growth in its early days. The agency did not immediately respond to requests from GBH News for updated figures on the program’s success.
According to its July press release, Massport plans to keep operating the Framingham pilot program through March of 2027. The pilot currently only serves passengers flying on Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. It’s unclear whether the permanent Braintree facility will include additional airlines when it opens its doors in 2028.
