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Alaska Airlines said it grounded its flights in Seattle briefly on Sunday night due to “significant disruptions” from an unspecified technology problem that was resolved by about 10 p.m. local time. In comments from its account on X to customers complaining of delays and problems with the airline’s app and website, the carrier apologized for the delays. It later reported that the problem had been resolved. The exact reason for the disruptions was unclear. “If you are traveling today, please check your flight status before leaving for the airport. If your schedule allows, please change or cancel your flight,” the airline said in a statement on its home page. “We apologize for the inconvenience and are working quickly to resolve the issue.” It has been a rough few weeks for people traveling through Seattle, a busy hub for Alaska Airlines and other major carriers. Last week, the operator of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the main hub for Alaska Airlines, said hackers were demanding $6 million in bitcoin for documents they stole during a cyberattack in August and then posted on the dark web. The Port of Seattle, which owns and runs the airport, said it had decided not to pay. The airport has been recovering from the attack, which began Aug. 24, a busy time days before the Labor Day holiday weekend.<br/>

British Airways has signed a deal to buy more than GBP9m in carbon removal credits in both the UK and overseas as part of a six-year agreement. The airline said the move makes it the largest carbon removals purchaser in the UK and comes as part of its sustainability efforts to reach its 2030 decarbonisation target, and ultimately contribute to its 2050 net-zero goal. The company said it is working with Cur8, a UK-based company that aims to source high quality credits, to buy 33,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits. Buying these credits means money will go towards projects that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such as reforestation, peat restoration or emerging technology that captures carbon from the air and stores it underground. They are considered a vital tool to offset residual hard-to-abate emissions after significant decarbonisation efforts. The scope of nature conservation and restoration work needed to support ecosystems and biodiversity through the changing climate will also require large amounts of private capital. But environmentalists have long been sceptical of the carbon offset market with investigations exposing dodgy carbon accounting behind the credits being sold. Many experts have also argued that carbon credits can allow companies in polluting sectors to delay more impactful work on reducing emissions at source. British Airways said its removal portfolio includes a scheme to capture CO2 emissions from whisky distilleries in Scotland that will be repurposed into building materials. The money is also contributing to another project that uses an enhanced rock weathering technique to lock away carbon for thousands of years, involving multiple locations in the UK, British Airways said. The airline said it will purchase credits from two companies specialising in high-durability reforestation projects, increasing the amount of forested land in Scotland and Wales.<br/>

Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific has banned two passengers from its flights after an argument over seat-reclining etiquette descended into xenophobic insults. The incident occurred during a flight from Hong Kong to London on September 17, and a female passenger from mainland China recounted her experience in a video posted on on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), China’s version of Instagram. “The lady sitting behind me asked me to put my seat up because it was blocking her husband’s view of the TV. I politely declined, and she started stretching her feet onto my armrest, kicking my arm and cursing at me like crazy,” she said. A flight attendant attempted to mediate by suggesting the woman raised her seat, but she refused, and the situation escalated. “When (the female passenger) realized my Cantonese wasn’t so great, she started throwing around some nasty comments, calling me a ‘Mainland girl’ and other derogatory stuff,” the woman said. People from Hong Kong speak mainly Cantonese, whereas mainland Chinese mainly speak Mandarin. “Once I started recording, the husband behind me even shoved his hand on my armrest and started shaking it like crazy. I felt my personal space had been completely violated,” added the woman, who said other passengers then intervened. In footage of the incident uploaded by the woman, a female voice can be heard saying in Mandarin: “You’re old enough — why are you bullying a young girl?” And others can be heard shouting in Cantonese: “You’re embarrassing us Hongkongers!” and “Stop saying you’re from Hong Kong!” Story has more.<br/>