Logan showcases spiffed up Terminal E on 100th birthday
Local and state officials gathered at Logan International Airport on Friday to mark its 100th anniversary and celebrate the opening of four new gates and other improvements at Terminal E, which welcomes international travelers to the city.
At a news briefing, Governor Maura Healey said that Terminal E frequently welcomes business leaders from abroad, heads of state, and ambassadors. “This expansion, indeed, reflects and responds to the demand around the world for access to Massachusetts,” Healey said. “Access to Boston, because people know we are one of the greatest places on earth. We truly are. And that is to be celebrated.”
Healey said Logan is a “critical economic engine” for the state that “connects our people and our businesses to nations around the world.”
The long-anticipated $640 million Terminal E expansion opened in August. It includes a duty-free shop and Delta Air Lines’ new Sky Club lounge.
“These fantastic new upgrades at Terminal E are going to help supercharge that [economic] engine and help us to elevate our image on the world stage,” Healey said.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the airport is “part of the legacy of the city of Boston applied broadly.”
“We have been safe harbor for nearly 400 years now. That first place that people can come from all around the world to find a home and to build their life and their family here,” she said. “And whereas that first was by ship many, many hundreds of years ago, more often than not [now] it is through these doors.”
Boston Globe Media CEO Linda Henry said the Globe enjoys major anniversaries, noting the paper in 2022 celebrated its 150th year.
”These historic moments are not only a fun reason to celebrate … they also provide a chance to remember our history and tell our story with a longer lens, as we reflect on our growth and accomplishments and even learn from our missteps,” Henry said. “These big anniversaries also give us the opportunity to declare our goals for the future and our commitment to serving the community.”
The airport was dedicated to much fanfare on Sept. 8, 1923. Boston Mayor James Michael Curley was in attendance and kicked off a plane race to Boston Light in the harbor, which the Globe described as “thrilling.” A new exhibit in the terminal, called “Boston Logan Looks Back: A Century of Powering What’s Possible,” explores events that shaped the airport over the past century.