Logan's first permanent remote terminal is coming to Braintree. Here's how it will work
Massport broke ground Oct. 13 on a Braintree terminal where South Shore travelers will check bags and clear TSA before a secure bus to their Logan gate. Target: about 2028.
Massport broke ground on Tuesday, Oct. 13, on what it calls the nation's first permanent remote airport terminal, at the Braintree Logan Express site near South Shore Plaza. The idea is simple: do the worst parts of the airport in Braintree, then ride straight to your gate.
The 30-second version
- What: A remote terminal plus new parking garages at the existing Braintree Logan Express lot. (Boston 25)
- Who: Massport, which runs Logan Airport.
- When: Massport says it expects to open to passengers by the end of 2028. A spokesperson separately told WCVB it should be ready in two to three years. (GBH via NENC, WCVB)
- Why it matters: You would skip Logan's security lines entirely.
How the process will work
- Park in Braintree. The site will keep its park-and-ride role, with new garages and short-term parking plus a drop-off area.
- Check your bags. Bag drop happens on site, before you get anywhere near the airport.
- Clear TSA security in Braintree. Screening happens at the remote terminal.
- Board a secure bus. Because everyone on board is already screened, the bus drops riders beyond Logan's security checkpoints, heading directly to the gates. (Boston 25)
What's being built
Massport describes the overall Braintree redevelopment as a roughly $500 million project that includes two eight-level parking garages and the terminal building. (GBH via NENC) Earlier environmental filings described a terminal of about 48,150 square feet and garages holding about 5,500 vehicles on a 19.9-acre site. (BLDUP)
How it got here
- March 19, 2026: Massport's board approved a $150 million budget for the garage and remote terminal work. (Boston Business Journal, Patch)
- Spring 2026: A draft state environmental impact report was filed. (BLDUP)
- June 2026: Massport launched a remote terminal pilot at the Framingham Logan Express.
- Oct. 13, 2026: Groundbreaking in Braintree.
Reports don't clearly explain whether the $150 million budget is part of the $500 million total or separate.
The Framingham test run
The Framingham pilot costs $9 per adult, currently serves only Delta and JetBlue passengers, and runs from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It carried about 10,000 passengers in its first month and roughly 25,000 by late September, and Massport plans to run it through March 2027. (Boston Business Journal)
What we don't know yet
- Fares, participating airlines and hours for Braintree have not been announced.
- The exact opening date. Sources point to late 2028 or 2029.
- New England Press found no reporting on a separate Braintree town vote; approvals reported so far are at Massport and the state level.
Cover: AI-generated illustration, not a rendering of the actual building.