Laurence G. Hanscom Field

KBED is the region’s largest general aviation airport and is the popular choice for business executives who prefer access to Eastern Massachusetts. The facility is home to private and corporate aircraft of all sizes and offers limited commercial service.

In 1941, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts purchased 500 acres of land on which to build the airport. The facility was leased by the Army Air Corps in 1943 and then named Laurence G. Hanscom Field, in honor of a founding member and commander of the Massachusetts Wing of the Civilian Air Reserve. It was primarily a military airport until the 1950s, when it became both a military and civilian facility. By 1959, the Massachusetts Port Authority took control of the state land. Then in 1974, Massport assumed responsibility of the general operations and maintenance of the airfield, and military operations declined. Since then, Hanscom has been managed as a regional aviaition facility, with corporate aviation, private pilots, aviation schools, and some charter and cargo flights making up a mix of its business.

KBED is in Bedford, Massachusetts, just 20 miles northwest of Boston. 

● KBED is the second busiest airport in Massachusetts.

● Massport operates Hanscom in order to guarantee year-round efficiency with public safety and security provided by the Massachusetts State Police, Massport Fire-Rescue, Transportation Security Administration, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

● Hanscom Field is on 1,300 acres and has two runways.