Logan Express opens remote TSA Framingham June

Massport said it will open the Logan Airport Remote Terminal in Framingham on June 1, allowing some Boston Logan passengers to check bags and clear TSA screening before they travel to the airport. The pilot will serve eligible Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways passengers and use secure buses to carry them from Framingham to the airside portion of Logan, according to Massport. The agency described it as a first-of-its-kind program, while Landline, the contractor helping operate it, called it North America’s first off-airport security checkpoint. Reservations are already open through Massport’s website. ### Who can actually use the Framingham terminal? Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways passengers are the initial users in the pilot, Massport said. The service is limited to travelers with departing flights scheduled between 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., and tickets can be booked from 90 days to 90 minutes before departure. (massport.com) Massport said the Framingham site is near the existing Logan Express station off Route 9. CBS Boston identified the address as 19 Flutie Pass in Framingham. ### What happens before you get on the bus? Passengers will check in, drop checked bags and then go through a TSA screening lane at the Framingham facility, Massport and local outlets said. (massport.com) Peter Howe, Massport’s deputy director of roadway management, told GBH News that “everything has been approved by our partners at TSA” and that travelers will be going through federal screening protocols at the remote site. (wgbh.org) Landline said the screening uses federally approved procedures and that the difference is the location, not the standard. After screening, travelers board a dedicated secure bus and are dropped off at Logan on the secure side of the airport, near their gate. Landline said Delta passengers will be dropped at Terminal A Gate A18 and JetBlue passengers at Terminal C Gate C8. (wgbh.org) ### How much does it cost? Massport said the bus ride costs $9 each way. GBH News reported that children 17 and under ride free, and daily parking at the Framingham site costs $7. CBS Boston reported that each bus will carry 55 passengers. GBH News said the site has 400 parking spaces and will also handle ride-share drop-offs. (prnewswire.com) ### When do the buses run, and what’s still uncertain? GBH News reported that secure buses to Logan will run every hour on the hour from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. (massport.com) CBS Boston reported that buses will run every hour from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. at launch. Massport’s release said its booking system recommends a bus scheduled to arrive at Logan at least 45 minutes before departure. The difference in published operating windows was not immediately reconciled in the materials reviewed. (cbsnews.com) WBUR reported that the remote terminal is part of a broader set of airport changes that also includes live security wait-time tracking on Logan’s website. Massport officials told local outlets they hope the Framingham option will reduce congestion at the airport and on nearby roads. (wgbh.org) ### Who is running the pilot? Massport said Landline is partnering with the agency to help manage the program. Landline said it will power and operate the Logan Airport Remote Terminal at Framingham in partnership with Massport. Rich Davey, Massport’s chief executive, said in the agency’s release that the pilot is part of a broader effort to make the passenger journey “more seamless, connected, and efficient.” David Sunde, Landline’s chief executive, said in the company statement that the Framingham site creates “a new front door to Logan.” (massport.com) (wbur.org) June 1 is the start date for the pilot, and Massport said access could expand to additional airlines later. For now, bookings are limited and available through the Logan Airport Remote Terminal page on Massport’s website. (massport.com)