Alaska Airlines has been named as founding partner and the official airline of NHL Seattle. The airline also will sponsor the "Alaska Airlines Atrium" at the team's hockey arena, creating a gathering place featuring stories and images of the Pacific Northwest. "'Meet me in the Alaska Airlines Atrium' is the vernacular that we're hoping to create within the community," marketing executive Natalie Bowman.

FedEx volunteers will work with Rise Against Hunger to pack over 170,000 meals in 10 cities in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the company's ongoing partnership with the organization. The company is also sponsoring free admission at civil rights museums in Birmingham and Montgomery, Ala.; Jackson, Miss.; Memphis, Tenn., and Atlanta.

Delta Air Lines has unveiled virtual queuing to its app, which alerts travelers when their seat is boarding. Delta says passengers can relax nearby instead of crowding at the gate while waiting.

Michigan's Flint Bishop International Airport is accepting applications for a program allowing non-ticketed individuals to visit travelers beyond security screening. Anyone participating in the FNT Visitors Pass Program is subject to the same security screening as passengers.

A Department of Transportation panel is recommending that aircraft manufacturers develop safety management systems and make provisions for variations in pilot performance. Overall, the panel came out in support of the Federal Aviation Administration and its certification system.

Plans are in the works to replace a terminal at Huntingburg Regional Airport in Indiana with a larger building that will accommodate more people and encourage increased traffic. The new terminal will also provide a rest space for pilots with showers, offices and a classroom.

The Summerfest store has opened at Wisconsin's Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, featuring products from House of Harley-Davidson, Brew City Brand, Drink Wisconsinbly, and more than 15 local artisans and small businesses. The store is part of a $7 million renovation project for the airport's retail and restaurant areas.

Delta Air Lines has committed $400,000 to renovations at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta. "There are few who have left a legacy of connection as profound as Dr. King. We are honored to support improvements that will allow the public to visit the park and remember his life for decades to come," Delta's Tad Hutcheson says.

Scientists at Stanford University in California have developed a prototype of a "PigeonBot" -- a drone with soft, feathered wings that may enable it to move as gracefully as a bird and endure higher wind speeds than other unmanned aerial systems. The wings, which include real pigeon feathers, make the drone lighter, which may allow it to go for longer distances before refueling.

A polar circumnavigation by Opinion Leaders blogger Robert DeLaurentis is proving to be a complicated expedition with many surprises. AOPA Online.