Massport To Cut 25% Of Workforce Due To Steep Drop In Logan Airport Travel

BOSTON (CBS/AP) — Massport, the state agency that owns and operates Logan Airport, must cut about 25% of its workforce amid a $400 million budget deficit brought on by a steep drop in travel during the coronavirus pandemic, agency executives say.

The savings will come from a combination of layoffs, voluntary buyouts of union and administrative workers, and furloughs of administrative staff.

The voluntary program will begin immediately, and the layoffs are expected in January.

"While we continue to advocate for further CARES Act funding, and explore other revenue sources and financial strategies, the Authority must reduce our workforce by approximately 25 percent to better align staffing levels with business activity," said Massport Director of Media Relations Jennifer Mehigan in a statement on Thursday.

Logan had 42 million passengers last year. This year, the "optimistic" forecast was 22 million, and the "worst case" 13 million, according to Massport.

Logan's passenger numbers are down to what they were in the mid-1970s, Wieland said. Traffic last month was nearly 80% below October 2019.

The board approved CEO Lisa Wieland's proposal to begin the downsizing.

Board Chairman Lewis Evangelidis said the pandemic has led to "in many ways a worst-case scenario if not worse than the worst-case scenario."

Massport previously announced it would halt some major construction projects and implement other cost savings measures to help plug the revenue gap in an effort to avoid layoffs.