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Massport eyes ‘remote terminal,’ allowing passengers to skip security lines in Logan Airport
Passengers would be able to go through TSA screening in Framingham before boarding a secure bus to Logan.
Travelers flying out of Boston may soon have a new way of avoiding the headaches of security lines inside Logan Airport.
Massport officials are exploring the idea of setting up a “remote terminal” in Framingham that would allow people to go through security before taking a bus to the airport.
Massport CEO Rich Davey presented details to the organization’s board of directors Thursday morning.
“Part of the intent is to reduce people’s anxiety of getting to the airport,” Davey told The Boston Globe ahead of the meeting. “We’re going to start small to see if we can get folks excited about it.”
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The remote terminal operation would be set up in a parking lot on Flutie Pass in Framingham, which Massport already uses as an overflow lot with bus access to Logan. One bus would leave per hour, during a five-hour window each day. TSA screening would be conducted on-site, and passengers would be able to check their bags or bring carry-on luggage with them on the buses.
Officials hope to have between 15 and 30 passengers per bus. They would be transported to the secure side of Logan and not have to go through security again, according to a presentation slide from Thursday’s meeting shared with Boston.com by a Massport spokesperson.
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Tickets would have to be reserved in advance. Buses would bring passengers to either Terminal A or Terminal C, according to the Globe.
Officials are hoping to launch the pilot program next summer and have it run from June through August. Massport still needs TSA approval and discussions with the agency are ongoing. Davey is optimistic about receiving this approval sometime in the next nine months, he told the Globe.
The pilot is based on a similar program in Atlantic City and Philadelphia, according to the Massport spokesperson. That program involves a private shuttle that takes American Airlines passengers from Atlantic City to Philadelphia International Airport. The Massport program would not be limited to a single airline or involve private shuttles.
Davey told the Globe that Massport does not intend to charge more for the bus tickets during the pilot period than Logan Express buses normally cost. A one-way ticket from Framingham to Logan currently costs $9 online.
Officials want to collect data about how efficient and popular the service is, and could potentially expand it to other Logan Express lots in places like Braintree and Woburn.
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