A technology issue at Alaska Airlines resulted in the temporary grounding of flights in Seattle on Monday morning and problems into the afternoon for people trying to book flights on its website, the airline said. The Seattle-based company said in a statement the issue Monday morning resulted in a “significant disruption” to its operation — including delayed flights. The airline said it requested a 40-minute ground stop at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to clear aircraft congestion. No further details were given about the technology problem, and the reason for the disruptions was unclear. A message on the company’s website Monday afternoon said it was experiencing issues with booking flights on the website, through a mobile app and at the contact center. “We sincerely apologize to our guests who are impacted and are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” the statement said. The problems came at the start of the company’s Cyber Monday flight sale. In comments from its account on X to customers complaining of missed flights, delays and problems using the airline’s app and website, the carrier also apologized.<br/>
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The FAA is investigating an American Airlines flight that departed from Chicago and had to return due to a potential electric issue reported by the crew. According to the FAA, the concern prompted the Boeing 737-800 plane heading to Las Vegas to return to the Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Sunday morning, just before 10:00 a.m. An American Airlines spokesperson told USA TODAY that the aircraft was examined, and passengers boarded another plane. "An indicator light identified a possible mechanical issue that, after inspection, was confirmed to be false," a spokesperson said. "The flight landed safely and customers later redeparted for LAS on a replacement aircraft."<br/>
Qantas’s first Airbus A321XLR has entered final assembly, paving the way for its delivery in April next year. The aircraft, to be registered VH-OGA (MSN12323), is the first of 28 A321XLRs that Qantas has on order. It will replace Qantas’ Boeing 737-800s over the next decade. Qantas will also be the first Asia-Pacific operator of the variant, which entered commercial service in November with Spanish operator Iberia. Calling it a “significant milestone” in its fleet renewal plans, Qantas says the new aircraft will initially operate domestic flights. There are also plans to operate the type on short-haul international flights. Qantas’ A321XLRs are configured to seat 197 passengers in two classes, 13% more than its 737s. “In readiness for the arrival of the first A321XLR, Qantas engineering has received almost 800 pieces of new tooling and pilot training is underway with pilots spending up to 60 hours in the new simulator before stepping into the flight deck,” the Oneworld carrier states. The update comes about a year after Qantas took delivery of its first A220, the replacement for 717s operated by regional unit QantasLink. The airline will have five aircraft in service by the end of the year.<br/>