>> North American airports experience record growth in 2017
ACI-NA released the 2017 North American Airport Traffic Summary, containing passenger, cargo and aircraft operations data from 231 North American airports. In 2017, passenger traffic grew 3.7 percent and cargo traffic increased 7.1 percent.

>> $434 million DSM airport renovation finally takes off
Ground was broken this week on a new $8 million FedEx cargo building, the first step in the biggest change in Des Moines Airport history.

>> Delta says Atlanta airport will feature USA's 'first biometric terminal'
Delta Air Lines is set to introduce what it’s calling the "first biometric terminal in the U.S." The carrier says it’s equipping the Atlanta airport’s international terminal (Terminal F) with face-scanning technology that will allow international passengers to use facial recognition technology "from curb to gate." 

>> Houston's METRO planning to connect light rail to Hobby Airport
Extending light rail transit to Hobby Airport is on the short list of goals METRO is proposing. The idea is a small part of a larger, long-term plan called METRONext.

>> Long Beach Airport on board to become the nation’s most sustainable
Long Beach will soon begin to develop a plan to house the country’s most sustainable airport, thanks to a unanimous City Council vote last month.

>> Miami’s airport tries therapy dogs to soothe stressed-out travelers
Flying too stressful these days?  Would a visit with a cute therapy dog make layovers a bit less unpleasant? That’s what travel officials at Miami International Airport hope as it starts a new therapy dog program, the Miami Hound Machine, on Monday, Sept. 24. 

>> Airlines are raising the cost of checked bags
Airlines continue to see the much-maligned bag fees as a way to protect their bottom lines from rising fuel and labor costs.