It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems in which it is categorized as a large hub primary commercial service facility.

[12] During the 1940s and 1950s, due to the rise in demand for air travel, the airport added 1,800 acres (2.8 sq mi; 7.3 km2; 730 ha) of landfill in Boston Harbor, taken from the former Governors, Noddle's and Apple Islands.

In 1943, the state of Massachusetts renamed the airport after Maj. Gen. Edward Lawrence Logan, a Spanish–American War officer from South Boston, a statue of whom by sculptor Joseph Coletti was unveiled and dedicated on May 20, 1956.

In the late 1940s, American Overseas Airlines began operating a weekly Boston-Shannon-London service,[16] shortly after, Pan Am began operating nonstop service to Shannon Airport in Ireland and Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, continuing to London and Lisbon, respectively.

[19] BOAC thereafter began service on the new De Havilland Comet, the first commercial jetliner in the world, on direct flights to Boston from London Heathrow.

[22] The jumbo jet era began at Logan in the summer of 1970, when Pan Am started daily Boeing 747 service to London Heathrow.

Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) undertook the "Logan Modernization Project" from 1994 to 2006: a new parking garage, a new hotel, moving walkways, terminal expansions and improvements, and two-tiered roadways to separate arrival and departure traffic.

[11] Massport's relationship with nearby communities has been strained since the mid-1960s,[27] when the agency took control of a parcel of residential land and popular fishing area near the northwest side of the airfield.

Public opposition came to a head when residents laid down in the streets to block bulldozers and supply trucks from reaching the construction zone.

[33] According to Massport records, the first aircraft to use the new airstrip was a Continental Express ERJ-145 regional jet landing on Runway 32, on the morning of December 2, 2006.

[40] British Airways announced in October 2018, that A380 service to Boston would expand to daily frequency during the summer 2019 season, beginning on March 31, 2019.

Terminal A, which replaced a 1970s-era building once occupied by the now-defunct Eastern Air Lines (and later by its successor, Continental Airlines, until closing for demolition in 2002), opened to passengers on March 16, 2005.

Among the building's features are heat-reflecting roof and windows, low-flow faucets and waterless urinals, self-dimming lights and stormwater filtration.

[53] The terminal remained largely unchanged until US Airways expanded its operations at Logan in 1979, and improvements designed by HNTB were constructed in 1980.

The renovation also included 24 new ticket counter spots, eight new departure lounges, new concession space, and a new baggage carousel.

Massport is barred by a court order from using the runway for overland landings or takeoffs, except in emergencies.

[86] There was fierce opposition towards the construction of 14/32 among communities adjacent to the northwest side of the airport, such as Chelsea and East Boston, as authorities acknowledged these areas would likely see increased noise levels.

Many Residents of Winthrop and Revere also joined in opposition,[87] even though Massport had predicted the new traffic patterns allowed by 14/32 would actually reduce overflights and noise in those areas.

[88] In 1988, Massport had proposed an 800-foot (240 m) extension to 15L/33R (a project which would have required additional filling-in some land along a "clam bed"), but was thwarted by a court injunction.

It provides shuttle service to remote park and rides located at Back Bay, Braintree, Framingham, Danvers, and Woburn.

The SL1 branch of the MBTA's Silver Line bus rapid transit service connects all Logan terminals with South Station, a major transportation hub in downtown Boston that is served by MBTA Commuter Rail, Amtrak, the Red Line subway, and intercity bus.

Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, Thrifty, and Zipcar rental car companies currently operate out of facility, which has 3,200 parking spaces across four levels.

[95] The distinctive central control tower, nearly a dozen stories high, is a local landmark with its pair of segmented elliptical pylons and a six-story platform trussed between them.

[107] A 250-foot security zone, established in 2002, surrounds the waters around the airport which are marked by 29 buoys indicating the restricted area.

Tailwind Air began operating seasonal seaplane service from Boston Harbor's Fan Pier Marina to Manhattan on August 3, 2021,[188] Plymouth in 2022,[189] Provincetown on May 25, 2022,[190] and Nantucket on May 17, 2023.

Manchester–Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, is located approximately 56 statute miles (90 km) north-northwest of Logan, an average drive time of 62 minutes via I-90 and I-93.

T. F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, is located 60 statute miles (97 km) south-southwest of Logan, averaging 76 minutes from Logan via I-90, I-93, and I-95, or a 100-minute ride via the Silver Line SL1 bus to South Station and then the Providence/Stoughton Line commuter rail to T. F. Green Airport station.

In late 2017, the airport finished construction on a Category IIIb Landing System that would allow for arrivals and departures in virtually all weather conditions.

[220] The increased reliability, which has been the main concern for airlines operating at the notoriously foggy airport over the years, was expected to draw additional service.

The airport is located 47 statute miles (76 km) due west of Logan, primarily accessed via Interstates I-90 and I-290.