A recent extension from the federal Department of Homeland Security will give Minnesotans at least another year before they need a new driver's license to get through security at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
The new date for Minnesota to comply with the federal REAL ID law is Oct. 10, 2018.
The idea of implementing the REAL ID standard in Minnesota had been a point of contention at the State Legislature. A bill passed earlier this year put Minnesota on track to come into compliance with the 2005 federal law, which requires secure identification to enter airports, military facilities and federal buildings.
Without the new secure driver's license, travelers flying out of MSP and other Minnesota airports might have been required to have a passport or other form of compliant ID, even for domestic flights.
The announcement from the Department of Homeland Security is here.
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As children and their families descended on MSP this year during the MEA Conference break from school, the airport was prepared with a number of activities themed around science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Travelers on Tuesday, Oct. 17, were treated to a world record attempt at the highest stack of donuts, as the airport's Angel Food Bakery and Donut Bar took a shot at getting a Guinness mention (pictured below). The crew from Angel Food came within a thick glaze of the record, and in the process garnered the attention of thousands of people at the airport, on social media, and in news reports.
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The Science Museum of Minnesota offered super structure activities (pictured) as passengers waited to board flights, attracting steady participation on Concourse C.
MSP staff and volunteers also handed out drawstring backpacks to kids passing through the terminal on the busiest days of the week.
The backpacks contained STEM-related items, including a small balsa wood plane, STEM-themed buttons, a fidget spinner and a map of where to find kid-friendly activities at the airport.
Each of the more than 100 shops and restaurants at MSP posted a STEM fact at its entrance,making a walk through the airport's terminals an educational journey.
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 Last week marked a major announcement for Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport: JetBlue will start service to Boston in May, 2018.
The airline's announcement makes MSP the 65th nonstop JetBlue destination from Boston's Logan Airport.
MSP has been working to land JetBlue service for years, and the new flight provides Twin Cities' travelers with another airline option to the East Coast. The service from MSP will feature three daily roundtrips.
From Boston, JetBlue has 150 daily departures to destinations in the US, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
New flights from a number of other airlines are about to come online at MSP as well, starting with service to Ft. Myers, Fla., on Frontier Airlines beginning Nov. 1.
Delta Air Lines starts service to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on Nov. 5, and Spirit Airlines begins service to New Orleans on Nov. 10.
Twin Cities-area residents seeking some sun will have a new option to San Diego, Calif. starting Nov. 18, as Alaska Airlines begins daily service.
On Dec. 23, Sun Country Airlines begins seasonal service to Aruba. Delta is offering flights to the Dutch Caribbean island off of Venezuela as well.
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 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) supports 86,900 jobs, creates $2.5 billion in annual spending by visitors to the area and generates $15.9 billion in total economic output annually according to an economic impact study just completed by InterVISTAS Consulting, Inc.
"MSP International Airport does more than get people and cargo from point to point. It serves as a powerful catalyst for the area economy," said Brian Ryks, executive director and CEO. "We tend to take air service for granted in a city with a thriving major airport, but the value of that service to our economy underscores the need to continue investing in airport infrastructure and partnering with airlines to initiate or expand service."
The study used 2016 data to measure the direct, indirect and induced economic impacts of MSP, as well as visitor spending impacts on the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan economy.
The study can be found here.
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 Get a sneak peek of the construction work that continues on the new InterContinental Minneapolis-St. Paul Hotel at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). You'll find it in this video.
Graves Hospitality, a Minneapolis-based developer, is building the 12-story, 300-room hotel that will be connected to MSP's Terminal 1 by a skyway. The hotel is set to open in June 2018.
A security checkpoint is also being added on the skyway level to give hotel guests easy access to the airport.
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