Just because you're at a conference doesn't mean the world stops. This section will feature the latest industry news so you don't miss a beat while networking with old friends and new connections.

OPINION - The Abraham Lincoln-Thomas Jefferson Airport Act Of 2016: No one on the left or right credibly denies that much of America’s aging infrastructure is crumbling or outdated. The sticky question, as is so often the case with such issues, is not whether or not more needs to be done but how to pay for it. Read more

DOT debates access for disabled in plane restrooms, entertainment, animals: Disabled travelers who depend on wheelchairs say it's so difficult to use restrooms on many airplanes that they dehydrate themselves for a cross-country trip or avoid flying entirely. Some relief could be on the way as the Transportation Department considers this week the most sweeping rule revisions in 30 years to make airlines — now exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act — more accommodating to passengers with limited mobility. Read more

Orlando airport hits new passenger record of 41 million: Orlando International Airport again expanded its ceiling for record number of passengers, with 41 million departing and arriving fliers going through the airport between July of this year and July 2015. That's a 10 percent increase from a year ago. Read more

New and adjusted flights at Tampa International Airport: WestJet, a Canadian airline, is testing out a new direct route between St. John's International Airport and Tampa International Airport next spring. It's one of several new or adjusted routes coming to Tampa International Airport over the next several months that involve flights to Panama, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Akron-Canton, Ohio. Read more

Allegiant Air to reach leisure travelers on Newark routes: Allegiant Air’s service to Newark, launching in November, is an attempt to reach what COO Jude Bricker said is the "top leisure destination" in the U.S. — New York City. Read more

Southwest developing new res system to include foreign sales: Dallas-based Southwest Airlines’ international expansion could take it to Canada, and an executive for the company did not rule out eventual transatlantic flights. Read more

Orlando airport to open USO Welcome Center: The Orlando International Airport is officially opening a USO Welcome Center today for the hundreds of thousands of military members, veterans and their families who visit Central Florida annually. Read more

SeaPort Airlines shuts down, faces liquidation: SeaPort Airlines has flown its final flight. The tiny commuter airline launched in 2008 with flights between Portland, Ore., and Seattle. Read more