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General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the 20 busiest airports in the U.S., with over 27 million passengers a year. It serves as a focus city for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways, and JetBlue Airways. Continental Connection also operates a small regional hub at Logan. It covers 2,400 acres (10 km²), has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. The airport has service to destinations in the United States, as well as Canada, Latin America, and Europe. The distinctive central control tower, nearly a dozen stories high, is a local landmark with its pair of segmented elliptical pylons and a six-story platform trussed between them.
History Originally called Boston Airport, Logan opened on September 8, 1923 and was used primarily by the Massachusetts Air Guard and the Army Air Corps. The first scheduled commercial passenger flights were initiated by Colonial Air Transport between Boston and New York City in 1927. The airport has expanded enormously over the years, including the addition of 1,800 acres (7 km²) built on landfill in Boston Harbor and the incorporation of the former Governors and Apple Islands. As a consequence the airport is almost entirely surrounded by water. In 1952, the airport became the first in the United States with a rapid transit connection. In 1956, the state renamed the airport as General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport after a Spanish-American War hero from South Boston. The era of the jumbo jet began at Logan during the summer of 1970 when Pan Am inaugurated daily Boeing 747 service to London Heathrow Airport. Direct flights to London now are scheduled by British Airways, American Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic. When Terminal E opened in 1974 it was the second largest international arrivals facility in the United States. Since that time the number of international travelers using Logan has tripled. International long-haul travel has been the fastest growing market sector at Logan and has led the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) to embark on a major airport renewal project. The international terminal at Logan has been completely modified and upgraded into an elegant and impressive facility in recent years. To address Logan Airport's overcrowding Massport has designated Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, New Hampshire and T. F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island as the second and third airports of Boston. For a time Massport also operated the scheduled flights at Hanscom Field (BED) in Bedford, Massachusetts and Worcester Regional Airport in Worcester. But expansion of commercial air service to Hanscom Field has been derailed by community opposition, while Worcester Airport has poor highway access and is located far from major population centers other than Worcester itself. Logan Airport was the site of the crash of a World Airways DC-10 on January 23, 1982. The aircraft overran the runway and hit the ocean, breaking in two near the cockpit. Only two people were killed. In 2001, two of the aircraft involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, departed from Logan Airport. Both aircraft were flown into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers of New York, destroying both buildings. Both United and American Airlines have mounted American Flags on the gates the flights departed from that day. Construction has been completed on an additional runway, 14-32. This runway was first proposed in 1973, but had been delayed by court action. It will be commissioned on November 23, 2006, reducing delays during northwest winds that can force the closure of two or three of the current runways.• In 2005, two jet airliners almost collided when they both attempted take-off at the same time. Terminals and destinations
Terminal A (Delta Terminal) Logan's newly renovated Terminal A opened to passengers in March 2005. Delta operates all of the gates in the terminal, leading Boston to be a major focus city for the airline. The U.S. Green Building Council has also recognized Terminal A as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Enviormental Design)-certified building, the first in the nation to be certified for this accomplishment. The 22 gates in Terminal A increase the number of gates at Logan to 102. North side South side Terminal C On the night of February 28, 2006, the Terminal D gates were renumbered and labeled as part of Terminal C. Terminal E will be renamed Terminal D in 2007.• Terminal E (International Terminal) In 2007, this terminal will be renamed to Terminal D. Terminal E handles all international arrivals as well as the following airlines: Airline lounges Since many major domestic and international airlines have a large presence at Logan, there are many different airline lounges. Ground transportation The MBTA's Silver Line SL1 BRT service connects South Station, a major MBTA Commuter Rail, Amtrak, Red Line subway and bus transportation hub in the downtown Boston financial district, with all Logan terminals. There is also an Airport stop on the MBTA's Blue Line subway service. The Blue Line stop is not in the airport terminal itself; free shuttles bring passengers from the train station to the terminal buildings. Massport's Logan Express bus service also serves the areas of Braintree, Framingham, Peabody, and the Anderson Regional Transportation Center in Woburn. Livery pickup is also very common at the airport. Livery drivers are not allowed to leave their vehicles at the designated pickup areas and pickup locations vary depending on the terminal. For Terminal A, the pickup location in on the arival level, outside baggage claim, in a small parking lot across across the road. For Terminal B (both north and south sides), pickup is at the curbside on the departure level. At Terminal C, pickup is also on the departure level at the second and third islands. At Terminal E, pickup is on the arival level in a small parking lot across the road. The MBTA operates a water shuttle connecting Logan with downtown Boston, Quincy, and Hull. A free shuttle ferries passengers from the dock to the terminal. By road, the airport is at the eastern terminus of the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90), which provides easy access from the west via the Ted Williams Tunnel. From the south, travellers on Interstate 93 can connect to the Masspike east, through the Ted Williams Tunnel and take exit 26 to reach the airport. From the north, I-93 traffic to the airport uses the Callahan Tunnel, Route 1A North. From the North Shore, access is via Route 1A South. Additionally, road traffic from most of downtown Boston, Back Bay and Fenway/Boston University should use the Callahan Tunnel. The westbound twin tunnel to the Callahan Tunnel is known as the Sumner Tunnel. Both eastbound tunnels are free but westbound travel through one of the tunnels is $3. On July 10, 2006, the connector tunnel leading from the Massachusetts Turnpike to the Ted Williams Tunnel was closed due to a ceiling collapse that killed a woman. This has complicated airport access from the south and west. This connector tunnel was part of the Big Dig project which extended the Massachusetts Turnpike to the airport via the Ted Williams Tunnel. Access from I-90 Eastbound has been restored, however access to I-90 Westbound is still closed. | ||||||||||
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