Logan Airport Capital Projects

[Roxxma]

Departed 33L for MCI yesterday and had a great view:View attachment 35308

I really love this terminal. The red is such a contrast to staid Boston and we could use more of it. The new terminal at MCI is great. Walked off the plane to the scent of BBQ which is so very KCMO (we should NOT do the same thing with seafood in Boston…). Looking forward to experiencing more of it on the way out next week.

I am so glad that they've finally replaced those awful terminals at KMCI, last time I was there visiting family (about ten years ago), once I got beyond security in one of the old ring terminals, there was almost nothing in the form of amenities. At that time I was flying to DFW on AA and at the gate I departed from there was one restaurant/bar that served both post and pre security and had a shared kitchen/backroom area. The only positive to it was that because each security checkpoint only served a few gates (maybe two or three?), there was almost never a wait.

 

[atlantaden]

Speaking of the new Kansas City airport (KCI) terminal (with their glass jetways, I have to say I freakin love glass jetways! European airports have had them for years, even many cruise ship terminals have them! The pics I posted are from jetways in Barcelona, and the cruise terminal boarding ramp in Ft Lauderdale. The new Kansas City Airport terminal has all glass jetways. So, so wish the new Terminal E addition had installed glass jetways. Would have been a unique, and very classy boarding and deplaning experience to what’s looking like a spectacular addition to Terminal E.

America Turns to the Clear Alternative to Steel Sided Jet Bridges – AirlineGeeks.com

With new construction projects revitalizing airports across the United States, the call for more modernizations or “European-style” structures has resulted in more glass and steel replacing the concrete and brick-heavy terminals of the past. However, some airports across the country have...

airlinegeeks.com

 

[HelloBostonHi]

 

[BosMaineiac]

Speaking of the new Kansas City airport (KCI) terminal (with their glass jetways, I have to say I freakin love glass jetways! European airports have had them for years, even many cruise ship terminals have them! The pics I posted are from jetways in Barcelona, and the cruise terminal boarding ramp in Ft Lauderdale. The new Kansas City Airport terminal has all glass jetways. So, so wish the new Terminal E addition had installed glass jetways. Would have been a unique, and very classy boarding and deplaning experience to what’s looking like a spectacular addition to Terminal E.

America Turns to the Clear Alternative to Steel Sided Jet Bridges – AirlineGeeks.com

With new construction projects revitalizing airports across the United States, the call for more modernizations or “European-style” structures has resulted in more glass and steel replacing the concrete and brick-heavy terminals of the past. However, some airports across the country have...

airlinegeeks.com

View attachment 35369View attachment 35370View attachment 35371

The Flynn Cruise Terminal also has a glass boarding bridge

Edit: that pic is the old one. Here’s the current bridge: https://www.adelte.com/project/boston-raymond-l-flynn-black-falcon-cruise-terminal/

 

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

Call me a fan - what a great swoop of exciting architecture, so badly needed at Logan. Wasn’t open yet tho.

 

[Equilibria]

Call me a fan - what a great swoop of exciting architecture, so badly needed at Logan. Wasn’t open yet tho.

View attachment 35445View attachment 35446View attachment 35447View attachment 35448View attachment 35449View attachment 35450

My only criticism is that there isn't and will never be any architectural conversation between this and the rest of the airport. I don't love the Idlewild "World's Fair" look where the airport is just a sculpture garden.

If I thought there was any chance of extending the red swoops to the rest of E and the C connector in the future (at least) I'd call it a 100% win.

 

[mass88]

My only criticism is that there isn't and will never be any architectural conversation between this and the rest of the airport. I don't love the Idlewild "World's Fair" look where the airport is just a sculpture garden.

If I thought there was any chance of extending the red swoops to the rest of E and the C connector in the future (at least) I'd call it a 100% win.

If nothing else, rebuilding the existing E gates, referring to E1-9, to match the expansion would be a big win. That would really open up the gates areas with higher ceilings and larger windows. Would go a long way to improving he overall feel. E-10-12 doesn't need to be touched since Massport did a nice expansion/rebuild a few years ago.

I am awaiting when Massport will provide any sort of update on phase 2 of the E expansion - is it going to happen and if so, when will it start?

 

[Equilibria]

This was posted at a.net over the weekend:

Boston Aviation - 2023 - Page 4 - Airliners.net

I had dinner tonight with the Director of Sales for Delta in Boston and he outlined a few things I found to be very interesting;

-Delta is studying very closely the addition of BOS-BOG on an A330 (in conjunction with LATAM)
-Looking to increase frequency on BOS-GRU, possibly using DL metal
-Delta is basically tapped out in terms of adding new domestic markets; looking at further expansion to Europe
-BOS-Barcelona is actively being talked about
-BOS-ROC is coming to an end
-Delta made a significant investment in the Terminal E expansion and they will have first rights to the new gates, where all other international carriers will shift primarily to existing E gates
-Delta and Massport have been in active discussions about the future of Terminal A and they are looking to expand; 2 possibilities are being discussed- 1) Once the A-B post-security connector is done, taking over a portion of Terminal B; 2) moving FedEx and adding an expansion to Terminal A. He said what’s being discussed is taking out the FedEx facility and either moving them further down where the old Eagles nest and fire station is, or moving the facility out to the other end of Terminal E- apparently there’s a big area out there where they park a lot of maintenance equipment and also a big field that can be occupied. One thing he mentioned very adamantly; Massport has a big relationship with FedEx and there is a lot of pushback from them, as they are talking with them and Delta together. Massport pulls out the red carpet for FedEx and gives priority to their planes and flights; and they’re trying to thread the needle very carefully. He also said DL does not like to exceed 8-9 turns per day per gate and will not in most cases.

 

[tysmith95]

The area over by the FedEx ship center would be an easier walk if they connected it to terminal B, as the distance from A to a theoretical new gates would be very long.

 

[dshoost88]

 

[shmessy]

Loganâs Terminal E architect explains the new âBoston Redâ building and fourth-generation airports - The Boston Globe

The distinctive Terminal E not only looks futuristic from the outside, its architect describes the interior as the next generation in airport design, as well. Here’s what else he had to say.

www.bostonglobe.com

‘“I think airports have become the cathedrals of the 21st century. They are some of the most iconic buildings. They are the front door to a city. You want to give people traveling here something that represents the culture of the city.”’

-Luis Vidal, architect of Logan Terminal E

 

[DwnTwnr]

I love the form of this building and the visibility from the air and across the harbor. I do wish that they could improve the arrivals hall, it is so dumpy and not a great entrance to the city. I came through in mid-March and was reminded of how disappointing it always is.

 

[Java King]

I've been flying in and out of Logan since the 1980's. (TONS of business travel to just about everywhere in the globe for over 30 years.) I used to think that I knew about every nook and cranny of Logan, and it's almost a "second home" to me. So, I do LOVE Logan. However, I recently flew to Singapore via Doha on Qatar airlines. Wow, is all I can say about Doha airport. It makes Logan look like a grass field airport in my hometown of Albion, Nebraska. It was beautiful and the Qatar flights were really nice! When I cam back to Logan via Doha, I arrived at the Logan custom hall and luggage area. Boy, it was a dump and let-down for anyone's first experience to Boston. I sure hope it gets improved! The custom officials were very nice, and that was a welcome experience after a 22-hour flight experience. (8 hours from Singapore to Doha, and 14 hours from Doha to Boston.)

 

[North Shore]

I've been flying in and out of Logan since the 1980's. (TONS of business travel to just about everywhere in the globe for over 30 years.) I used to think that I knew about every nook and cranny of Logan, and it's almost a "second home" to me. So, I do LOVE Logan. However, I recently flew to Singapore via Doha on Qatar airlines. Wow, is all I can say about Doha airport. It makes Logan look like a grass field airport in my hometown of Albion, Nebraska. It was beautiful and the Qatar flights were really nice! When I cam back to Logan via Doha, I arrived at the Logan custom hall and luggage area. Boy, it was a dump and let-down for anyone's first experience to Boston. I sure hope it gets improved! The custom officials were very nice, and that was a welcome experience after a 22-hour flight experience. (8 hours from Singapore to Doha, and 14 hours from Doha to Boston.)

View attachment 36470

View attachment 36471

View attachment 36472

View attachment 36473

View attachment 36474

I flew in/out of DOH for the World Cup back in November and December (with a side trip to Cairo) and that airport experience there was simply incredible. The architecture, the indoor gardens, the huge teddy bear, the soaring ceilings were amazing.

 

[BeyondRevenue]

I've been flying in and out of Logan since the 1980's. (TONS of business travel to just about everywhere in the globe for over 30 years.) I used to think that I knew about every nook and cranny of Logan, and it's almost a "second home" to me. So, I do LOVE Logan. However, I recently flew to Singapore via Doha on Qatar airlines. Wow, is all I can say about Doha airport. It makes Logan look like a grass field airport in my hometown of Albion, Nebraska. It was beautiful and the Qatar flights were really nice! When I cam back to Logan via Doha, I arrived at the Logan custom hall and luggage area. Boy, it was a dump and let-down for anyone's first experience to Boston. I sure hope it gets improved! The custom officials were very nice, and that was a welcome experience after a 22-hour flight experience. (8 hours from Singapore to Doha, and 14 hours from Doha to Boston.)

View attachment 36470

View attachment 36471

View attachment 36472

View attachment 36473

View attachment 36474

Don't scratch the paint. You'll see what's underneath that veneer of progress.

"For the majority of his time in Qatar, Hari said he felt sad. He would watch planes take off during his six months tending the airport gardens and question why he was in the country. But he had paid 90,000 Nepali rupees ($685) to a Nepali recruitment company that facilitated his move. He was also told, he says, by the company he had joined that he would have had to pay 2,000 to 3,000 Riyal ($549-$823) to buy himself out of his contract."

Logan Airport: Built by well paid people. Designed ad-hoc. Financed on the cheap (TM)

 

[JeffDowntown]

Don't scratch the paint. You'll see what's underneath that veneer of progress.

"For the majority of his time in Qatar, Hari said he felt sad. He would watch planes take off during his six months tending the airport gardens and question why he was in the country. But he had paid 90,000 Nepali rupees ($685) to a Nepali recruitment company that facilitated his move. He was also told, he says, by the company he had joined that he would have had to pay 2,000 to 3,000 Riyal ($549-$823) to buy himself out of his contract."

Logan Airport: Built by well paid people. Designed ad-hoc. Financed on the cheap (TM)

Pretty much everything in that part of the world is built by the modern equivalent of slave labor "guest workers".

 

[Equilibria]

Pretty much everything in that part of the world is built by the modern equivalent of slave labor "guest workers".

Yep. If you're a dictator who has only one airport in your country and you can build it with slave labor, you can build really shiny things!

Remember who built the most impressive airport of the 1930s...

Berlin Tempelhof Airport - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[mass88]

I've been flying in and out of Logan since the 1980's. (TONS of business travel to just about everywhere in the globe for over 30 years.) I used to think that I knew about every nook and cranny of Logan, and it's almost a "second home" to me. So, I do LOVE Logan. However, I recently flew to Singapore via Doha on Qatar airlines. Wow, is all I can say about Doha airport. It makes Logan look like a grass field airport in my hometown of Albion, Nebraska. It was beautiful and the Qatar flights were really nice! When I cam back to Logan via Doha, I arrived at the Logan custom hall and luggage area. Boy, it was a dump and let-down for anyone's first experience to Boston. I sure hope it gets improved! The custom officials were very nice, and that was a welcome experience after a 22-hour flight experience. (8 hours from Singapore to Doha, and 14 hours from Doha to Boston.)

To be fair, compare Doha's airport to the major hubs in the US. While I've never been to Doha, I have flown through Hartsfield in Atlanta numerous times. Those pictures blow away Hartsfield and ATL is the primary hub for one of the world's largest airlines and they have a lot more space to work with than Massport does with Logan. I'd say, again based on your pictures and others than I have seen, Doha easily outclasses airports like Miami, JFK, DFW, Bush among others in the US.

Compare Delta's facilities at ATL with British Airways at LHR, Iberia at MAD, Lufthansa at MUC and Swiss at ZRH (these are examples of airlines and airports I have flown through and see first hand). The foreign airports are much, much better. Point being is that US airports for the most part are not overly impressive.

 

[Equilibria]

To be fair, compare Doha's airport to the major hubs in the US. While I've never been to Doha, I have flown through Hartsfield in Atlanta numerous times. Those pictures blow away Hartsfield and ATL is the primary hub for one of the world's largest airlines and they have a lot more space to work with than Massport does with Logan. I'd say, again based on your pictures and others than I have seen, Doha easily outclasses airports like Miami, JFK, DFW, Bush among others in the US.

And even moving past the question of free countries vs. non-free countries, those that can devote all of their national resources to a single hub airport (or a couple of them) will build nicer airports than the US, which has to cover dozens. In addition to which: airports like Doha and Singapore are a huge part of the economy of those countries - they're city-states with national airlines that depend on attracting transiting passengers. Atlanta/Delta, Houston/United, etc. don't think the niceness of the airport is important for Americans deciding where to change planes on domestic trips, and they're sadly probably right. I may avoid Terminal 3 at O'Hare like the plague, but most people don't, and the aesthetics of the connecting hub are probably way down the priority list for people selecting an airline or an itinerary in this country. When it comes to intercontinental travel between Europe and Asia (particularly for business/status travelers) it's a whole other story.

Also, it's worth noting that in Europe and Asia cities often have domestic terminals or even entire domestic airports that basically look like bus stations (and indeed they are bus stations, since they rarely have jet bridges). The experience of flying domestically from Logan - nice seating, power ports, a jet bridge to board the plane, the low likelihood that you're on a bare-bones ULCC - blows the EU and most of Asia out of the water. Singapore and Doha don't have domestic airports because, again, there's no place to fly domestically from either.

Terminal E post-modernization will hold its own in terms of amenities (though maybe not size) with international terminals at SFO and LAX (America's best) and probably also with most European hubs. Even the current Terminal E has received positive comments on the travel Youtube channels I watch (honestly, all of the Logan terminals other than C do).

EDIT: Incidentally, ATL's international terminal is only about 10 years old. It's pretty nice.

ATL International Terminal & Concourse F Open House - FlyerTalk Forums

Delta Air Lines | SkyMiles - ATL International Terminal & Concourse F Open House - Saturday, May 5th, was the City of Atlanta “Open House” for the International Terminal and Concourse F. Here are a few pictures of the terminal (in addition to the other great pictures that have been posted)...

www.flyertalk.com

 

[Java King]

Terminal E post-modernization will hold its own in terms of amenities (though maybe not size) with international terminals at SFO and LAX (America's best) and probably also with most European hubs. Even the current Terminal E has received positive comments on the travel Youtube channels I watch (honestly, all of the Logan terminals other than C do).

That' all probably true. I'm waiting for the food options to improve post-security. Currently, it's pretty slim pickings in my humble opinion. Glass jet-bridges like European airports would also be nice. Again, I'm just hoping the custom and luggage hall is greatly improved. It's the FIRST thing you come into contact after deboarding the plane and its most people's FIRST impression of Boston as a place. It should be modern and spacious. Currently, you walk through a bunch of halls that remind me of a high school corridor until you get to the luggage area that is cramped and not very impressive. Plus, they charge for the luggage carts!!!!! Most European and Asian airports provide them for free.