The Brief A Seattle-bound flight had to return to Rome over the weekend, causing travel headaches for international passengers. Passengers on a flight between Seattle and Rome faced a roller-coaster of travel plans over the weekend as a mechanical issue eventually caused an international flight cancellation. Flight 181 was airborne after departing Rome to return to Seattle on Sunday when the flight crew became aware of a mechanical issue. Following additional evaluation, we determined the aircraft required further maintenance and canceled the flight," read a statement from Alaska Airlines sent out on Sunday, July 19. Dig deeper:Nonstop flights between Seattle and Rome are a new venture for Alaska Airlines.