Travel at Logan Airport is exceeding expectations, Massport CEO Rich Davey said during a meeting on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Image courtesy of Massport | Screenshot via State House News Service
Buoyed by busy air travel at Logan Airport, the Massachusetts Port Authority is expecting a “very good fiscal year” while bracing for potential turbulence in connection with tariff impacts on travel and cargo patterns, CEO Rich Davey said Thursday.
Logan served around 32 million passengers fiscal year to date as of March, which Davey said is 5 percent ahead of forecast.
“Obviously, you know, there’s talk of potential headwinds coming in the third quarter and beyond, given some of the tumult and uncertainty in travel,” Davey told the Massport Board without offering details. “But our airline partners are telling us that they believe, at least through the end of June, they still expect strong travel through Logan Airport. So we’re expecting a very good fiscal year, and certainly March showed that, as well.”
Massport director of aviation Ed Freni said passenger volume in March grew by 2.3 percent compared to March 2024.
“So strong month, strong year so far, and really happy with the way people are continuing to fly,” he said.
Highlighting travel performance at Logan, Freni noted that 40,000 passengers boarded planes there just before 9 a.m. Thursday, which he said was “pretty close to a record-breaking number.”
Still, as Massport leaders work on their budget, Davey said the agency is exploring “some scenario planning and taking a more conservative approach.” The agency’s budget will be presented to the board in June.
“Given the uncertainty around tariffs and potential economic uncertainty around travel, any of those kinds of maybe moderate changes would certainly impact Massport,” Davey said. “So we’re going to think prudently and carefully about the budget — we work together with A&F committee but ultimately bring to the board as well.”
The looming impacts of President Donald Trump’s tariffs are top of mind for Port Director Lauren Gleason, who oversees maritime business, including at Boston’s Conley Container Terminal.
The Trump administration earlier this month postponed reciprocal tariffs for all countries for 90 days but imposed a universal 10 percent tariff — except for China, Gleason recapped. The U.S. leveled a 145 percent tariff against China, which then responded with a 125 percent tariff against American goods.
The trade war has raised fresh questions about impacts on economic growth and the possibility of a recession.
“Certainly, there is quite a bit of uncertainty happening in the maritime industry around the current proposal of different tariffs that have been announced recently,” Gleason said. “So we are monitoring this by the hour, by the day, with our staff and with our importers and exporters.”
