Boston Logan’s remote terminal starts June 1 for Delta, JetBlue

Massport is launching its previously announced “remote terminal” pilot with TSA at Framingham, letting travelers check in, drop bags and clear security more than 20 miles from Boston Logan—before boarding a Landline bus to gates A18 (Delta) or C8 (JetBlue).

The summer rush at Boston Logan usually begins with one long line after another. Starting Monday, June 1, it begins somewhere else.

Massport. which operates Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). is launching its previously announced pilot “remote terminal” program in conjunction with the TSA. The idea is simple: travelers flying Delta or JetBlue will be able to check in. drop off luggage and clear security more than 20 miles away from the airport in Framingham. Mass.

After going through security at the remote site, passengers board a bus operated by Landline. The bus takes them airside at Boston Logan—either gate A18 for Delta flyers or gate C8 for JetBlue travelers. Checked bags are transferred directly to the plane.

The pilot runs alongside the existing Logan Express bus service, which connects several surrounding cities and towns in the Boston area, including Framingham. For travelers, it also means they can take the regular Logan Express bus back from Logan after their return flights.

Landline’s name may feel familiar. The mobility company has used buses to replace short flights for airlines like American Airlines. such as between Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) near Allentown. Pennsylvania and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). In those routes, travelers stay inside the sterile security zone while moving between airports by bus.

At Boston Logan, this will be the first program in the nation where passengers begin their journeys at a true remote terminal, not an airport. The pilot was originally authorized by federal legislation in 2019 and could be implemented at other airports across the U.S. in the coming years.

Before the June 1 start, Massport hosted several stakeholders for a tour of the facility earlier this week, including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, along with local media. The Point Guy also walked through the site to see how it will work.

Inside, the remote terminal is intentionally airport-like, but smaller than the larger Logan Express garage down the street in Framingham. Massport CEO Richard Davey said that if the pilot is successful and the program expands. a larger building would be used. Massport is also looking at other potential sites for larger, permanent remote terminals, including Braintree.

Even with its smaller footprint, the current facility is designed to handle demand. It will run with 55 passengers per bus and an hourly schedule between 4 a.m. and 11 a.m. to begin, according to Davey. The timing is aimed at the busiest early travel hours.

Parking and access are part of the pitch, too. Passengers can drive or be dropped off at the remote terminal, which has somewhere between 350 and 400 parking spaces available. Parking at the Framingham site costs $7 per day. Tickets cost $9 each way, with children under 18 years old riding for free. Seats can be booked as far as 90 days in advance, or as close-in as 90 minutes before departure.

Within the building, travelers will find two check-in desks—one for Delta and another for JetBlue. There are also departures boards displayed on large TVs, reinforcing that “miniature airport terminal” feel.

In the pre-security area, passengers have space to finish drinks or hang around before heading to the checkpoint. Signage tells travelers the rules that apply here are essentially the same as at an airport.

Through the doors to security, the checkpoint resembles a standard airport checkpoint, though smaller. There is a desk where a TSA officer checks identity. followed by a baggage screening area with trays and one of the newer computerized tomography (CT) based scanners. That setup lets passengers keep items like electronics and liquids in their bags during screening.

During the tour. there was no body scanner present. and a Massport spokesperson said both passengers with and without TSA PreCheck could use the remote terminal. It was not immediately clear whether the body scanner would be installed for those without PreCheck ahead of the pilot launch. since a TSA representative was not available during the tour.

Checked bags will also be screened by TSA at the remote terminal before being loaded into the cargo hold on the bus.

Once passengers clear the checkpoint, they enter a small waiting room with a vending machine, a water cooler and a bathroom. Then they go through a pair of secure doors, down a ramp that functions like a jet bridge, and onto the Landline bus.

The bus is held in an enclosed, locked and alarmed secure area, maintaining the sterile “airside” status. From there, it’s an easy 30–45 minute ride down the Mass Pike—Interstate 90—into Boston Logan.

With nearly a week before the pilot begins, more than 700 passengers had already reserved spots using the remote terminal. Davey said reservations so far are roughly evenly split between Delta and JetBlue.

It remains to be seen how smoothly it all runs in practice and what issues need to be fixed along the way. Massport plans to survey passengers during the trial about what works and what doesn’t from their perspective. The survey will also ask what passengers would consider a reasonable cost if the program becomes permanent.

Tickets currently cost the same as the normal Logan Express shuttle. But the remote terminal concept is more labor intensive and costs more to operate, and Massport is bearing a significant portion of the costs as it works through the pilot, Davey said.

For now, the pitch is targeted at summer travelers: an innovative, potentially easier way to reach the airport as the season ramps up, with the added goal—at least from the program’s design—of encouraging passengers to use mass transit and easing traffic around Boston Logan.

Boston Logan BOS Massport remote terminal Framingham TSA Delta JetBlue Landline Logan Express airport security bus to airport