Business travel bouncing back at Logan International Airport, aviation official says

Passenger activity at Logan International Airport, including Terminal A, seen here Thursday, is “exceeding” forecasts this year according to new data released by MassPort. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Passenger activity at Logan International Airport is “exceeding” forecasts this year as aviation officials witness a return of business travel and a “strong summer demand” for recreational flights, a top director at the Massachusetts Port Authority said Thursday morning.

Businesses all but ceased traveling during the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic as the aviation industry tanked and most white-collar workers turned to virtual meetings as a way to keep up with each other while offices were closed.

But MassPort Interim CEO and Aviation Director Ed Freni said most major airlines saw “double-digit revenue growth” from corporate customers in the first quarter. Companies in finance, technology, and professional services are spending more on air travel, a trend that is expected to continue through 2024, Freni said.

Airlines are also reporting an increase in business class travel, another way to measure the demand, Freni said.

“We’ve seen many cases of this leisure phenomenon where people are traveling, extending their business travel with leisure,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to pick them out as you see them traveling through the airport. But as of late, we have seen more evidence of the business-type traveler.”