All Things Travel: Logan Airport Expects Record Passenger Traffic
BOSTON (CBS) – Logan Airport is expecting record passenger traffic on Friday as the Christmas rush gets underway.
About 120,000 people are expected to pass through, enough to fill Fenway Park three times. The total for the next three days should be close to 250,000.
Planes will be taking off and landing with more than 95-percent of the seats filled.
Passengers are advised to get to the airport two hours ahead of their departure time.
The Transportation Security Administration has full staff on-hand to handle the extra crowds. For many people, this is the only time of the year when they travel, and they should check alternative transportation to the airport like the Logan Express buses, van services, or city buses that will drop them off at their designated terminals.
Parking will be available onsite. Massport recently opened a new section at the Central Parking Garage, creating 1,100 new spaces with direct access to the terminals.
People should remember that gifts to be carried on board planes should not be wrapped as they will have to be unwrapped to be inspected by the TSA.
Several airlines have banned the popular hoverboards from being carried on planes since the lithium batteries could overheat and cause a fire.
One of the busiest spots will be the international terminal with early-evening arrival flights.
There is a cell phone parking lot nearby where people can wait for the passengers they are picking up to clear customs. They can then be in contact by cell phone. Parking at the terminal while waiting will not be allowed.
Additional State Police will be at the terminals to keep traffic moving and to add security.
Massport passenger numbers released this week show a total of 30,904,499 passengers came through Logan through November. That's a 5.8 percent increase from a year ago.
The November totals are up 9.2 percent to 2,645,260 passengers at Logan. International passengers rose 11.8 percent to 381,146. That amount was among the highest percentage gains of major airports in the Northeast.
The traffic picture at South Station is somewhat different. Rail traffic is expected to be heavy, but it should peak early next week.
The bus terminal predicts smaller increases than normal, as most of the college crowd has left town the past several days.
The free MBTA Silver Line connects Logan to South Station, offering free bus service every day.
Bob Weiss will be a guest on Dan Rea's Nightside Friday night. His travel reports can be heard on WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
