Planes are taking off again from Runway 27 at Boston Logan International Airport, which reopened Friday, Nov. 13, after a closure that began Aug. 31 to finish a safety system that stops planes that overrun the runway, Massport said.[1] The reopening comes ahead of the holiday travel rush, which the work was scheduled to beat.[1][2]
Related: FAA halts all U.S. departures, including at Logan, until further notice
What was built
Crews installed a bridge deck at the end of the runway to support an Engineered Material Arresting System, or EMAS, a surface of lightweight, crushable material designed to slow and stop a plane that runs off the end of the runway.[1][2] The deck, built partly over the water, is designed to hold a fully loaded 747, about 1 million pounds, and the FAA requires the system.[1][2] Massport said the work does not lengthen the runway.[2]
This fall’s closure was the second phase of the project. It built on EMAS work completed in fall 2025.[2] Logan already has EMAS beds at the ends of Runway 22R and Runway 33L, and Massport called the system especially important at Logan because the airport is bounded by water.[2]
What the closure meant for travelers and neighbors
With Runway 9-27 closed, Logan ran with reduced runway capacity. Massport had warned of delays, especially in bad weather, and said nearby communities would see more flights as traffic shifted to other runways.[2] NBC Boston said the closure was a frequent and predicted source of delays. Crews worked around the clock to reopen it before the holidays.[1]
“Thank you to our passengers, airline partners and neighboring communities for their patience,” Massport wrote on LinkedIn.[1]
What happens next
The reopening restores a main runway just as Logan heads into Thanksgiving week. It came on the same day the FAA ordered a nationwide halt to departures over a communications outage, so Friday-night travelers should check with their airline. More Boston news and Logan Airport coverage.
Sources
- NBC Boston: Runway 27 at Logan Airport reopens after months of construction
- Winthrop Transcript (Massport release): Massport to begin Phase 2 of runway safety work at Boston Logan
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