PEABODY — The express bus from Peabody to Logan Airport will switch to hourly service beginning Monday.

Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry, D-Peabody, who fought Massport's plans to terminate the round-trip Logan Express to the airport, called the change "acceptable."

The express bus now leaves every half-hour on weekdays and for part of the weekends from a terminal on Route 1 south.

Berry said he is pleased Massport decided to continue the service, which the agency had planned to cancel at the end of this month due to lack of ridership. Massport said the Peabody-to-Logan run has lost $5 million since its inception in 2001.

Joined by local state representatives, Berry argued that Massport gave no advance warning of its decision and had not done enough to advertise the service or to seek other options.

The Peabody-to-Logan run had 87,000 riders last year.

Massport has pledged to keep running the Logan bus through June. It has advertised for a private bus company to take over in July.

In response to Massport's action, Berry agreed to suspend action on bills to investigate Massport's earlier decision to terminate the service and to add a North Shore representative to the agency's board.