The Trump administration's ban on commercial flights to all airports in Cuba besides Havana went into effect on Tuesday. The move bars US airlines from nine airports in the country, and many private charter companies have added flights in response.

Transportation Security Administration officers found and confiscated 27 guns at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport this year. This beats out the previous record of 26 set in 2017.

A test by artificial intelligence firm Kneron revealed that 3D masks and photos can be used to fool facial recognition systems like those used by payment systems and airports. "This shows the threat to the privacy of users with sub-par facial recognition that is masquerading as 'AI,'" Kneron CEO Albert Liu said.

Slower economic growth and global trade problems caused passenger and cargo numbers to go down this year, according to the International Air Transport Association. The association lowered the annual profit estimate for the airline industry to $25.9 billion, down $2.1 billion from June and $10 billion less than the estimate published a year ago.

On Wednesday morning, a New York-bound Delta Air Lines plane preparing for takeoff from Maine's Portland International Jetport had to return to the gate after it was struck in the tail by a de-icing truck. No one was injured, and passengers were booked on other flights.

A $1 million corporate hangar is nearing completion at Shelbyville Municipal Airport in Indiana, with installations of fencing, asphalt and flooring to be finished in the next couple of weeks. The airport plans to build a T-hangar next, as there is a long waiting list for rental space.

United Airlines is rolling out a feature that allows premium cabin passengers to pre-order inflight meals. Advance selection is available on some flights originating at United's hubs in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., with the goal of eventually expanding the service across the airline's network.

The city of Burien, Wash., west of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, won a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration which may force the agency to redraw a flight path serving the airport. The lawsuit said the FAA did not properly weigh environmental impacts of routing planes over the city.

FedEx and UPS ranked the highest among parcel carriers for on-time deliveries during the week of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, which marked the beginning of the industry's busiest season of the year, delivering 98.6% and 98.5% of its packages on schedule, respectively.

Passengers boarding Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air on Dec. 20 can nab priority boarding rights by donning a holiday sweater to mark National Ugly Sweater Day, as the airline company gets a little festive. The company is calling itself the "merrier carrier" and will offer holiday-inspired drinks in its lounges and festive decor and movies on its planes.