Laurence G. Hanscom Field (IATA: BED, ICAO: KBED) is a public airport located in Bedford, Massachusetts, approximately 17 miles northwest of downtown Boston. It is one of the busiest general aviation airports in New England and serves as a key facility for corporate, charter, and private aircraft operations. The airport is jointly managed by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and the United States Air Force, as it shares its facilities with Hanscom Air Force Base, a major installation for Air Force research and development programs. The field is named in honor of Lieutenant Laurence Gaige Hanscom, a Massachusetts aviator who died in an aircraft accident in 1941. Hanscom Field does not offer scheduled commercial airline service but is heavily utilized by business aviation, flight training operations, and government and military aircraft. Its proximity to the Route 128 technology corridor makes it a popular destination for corporate travel.