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Posted on September 29, 2026

The Massachusetts travel and trade gateway remains vibrant, despite tariffs, government shutdowns and rising fuel prices.

Rich Davey, CEO of the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), told an AIM audience yesterday that Logan International Airport just posted the second highest passenger volume in its history while the Flynn Cruiseport had a record year serving almost half a million vacationers. Worcester Airport recorded its busiest year since 1991.

At the same time, Davey acknowledged that business at the Conley Container Terminal dropped by 5 percent in the face of shifting federal tariffs policies and the war with Iran.

“That has been a challenge for us given tariffs, war and increased transportation costs…We continue to work with our customers, the Longshoremen for that matter, to make sure we are competitive,” Davey said during at during a keynote address to AIM’s International Business Series, hosted by AIM member Babson and sponsored by Lyft.

Davey met privately before his speech with the board of the AIM International Business Council. The IBC represents employer interests on issues of international trade and investment.

Massport’s portfolio includes Logan, Worcester Regional Airport, Hanscom Field, the public maritime facilities in the Port of Boston – including Conley Terminal and Flynn Cruiseport – as well as commercial real estate in East Boston, South Boston, and Charlestown.

Davey said Massport remains strong financially with $1.4 billion in revenue – about 48 percent of which goes back into capital investment. The organization employs some 1,400 people and generates $46 billion in economic impact.

“I would say we punch above our weight,” he said.

Davey said the strong performance at Logan reflects major improvements that this year led JD Power & Associates to name the facility one of the 10 best large airports in the country. It marked the first time Logan has appeared on the list.

“We have been laser focused for last two years on improving the customer experience, whether it’s improving our wi-fi, improving our signage or working with baggage claim,” he said.

One of the airport’s signature initiatives has been the establishment of a first-in-the-nation “remote terminal” in Framingham that allows travelers to park, check in, check bags and go through TSA security, then board a secure bus that takes them through the security gate at Logan. A second remote terminal is planned for Braintree.

Davey praised the resilience of Logan’s TSA officers, who kept security lines short while working without pay during two separate federal government shutdowns. He said the “airport community rallied” by providing food, gas cards and other tokens of appreciation to the unpaid TSA workers.

“I’m very proud of what happened here,” he said.

A lighter part of airport improvements is Massport’s “Voice of Logan” contest, which seeks to add a distinctively Boston accent to the announcements played at the airport. Thousands of people have auditioned to date, and the search has gone viral on social media, landing on both the Tonight and Today shows.