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Alaska Airlines Flight 78 was taxiing on the runway at Juneau International Airport ahead of a scheduled 6 p.m. takeoff when it, instead, returned to the gate, Alaska Dispatch News reported.

Roy Lane, communications manager for Alaska Airlines, told the newspaper that flight attendants complained that 11 passengers weren’t following safety protocols ahead of departure. Officials said they ignored requests for them to stop charging their cellphones and fasten their seatbelts while they were playing loud music. They also “made inappropriate comments to the flight attendants,” the Dispatch News reported.

The passengers were asked to leave when the plane returned to the gate, Lane said. Other people who were part of their group were allowed to stay onboard, according to the Dispatch News.

"While this situation does not happen every day, it's not uncommon for us to have to remove passengers if they're behaving in a disruptive manner or not following crew member instructions," Lane told the newspaper. "To us, this is a safety issue. If a customer will not comply with crew member requests on the ground, it's not safe for us to allow them to fly until they demonstrate that they're willing to follow basic safety instructions."

The passengers who were removed from the plane were able to take another flight later Monday.</s>In this Monday, April 4, 2016, file photo, Alaska Airlines planes with the company's new livery and tail logo, left, and the old livery used to promote service to Hawaii, right, are shown parked at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. Alaska Airlines slipped past rival Hawaiian Airlines to post the best on-time rating for U.S. carriers in July 2016, the Department of Transportation said Tuesday, Sept.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Deseret News.</s>Alaska Airlines will be chasing the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in United States history since 1918.

On August 21, a special charter flight for select astronomy enthusiasts and eclipse chasers will allow passengers to see the eclipse from more than 35,000 feet above the earth.

The flight will depart Portland at 7:30 a.m. and fly off the coast of Oregon, allowing passengers on board to be among the first of millions to witness the eclipse.

Though the flight is invitation-only, Alaska Airlines is giving one person and a guest a chance to win a seat on the flight. The contest begins July 21 on Alaska Airlines' social media channels.

While the partial eclipse will be visible from all over North America, the total eclipse will only be visible from specific locations across the United States.

>>Related: These are the best places to see the incredibly rare Great American Eclipse coming this summer

The airline said flights to the prime Pacific Northwest viewing destinations of Redmond, Oregon, and Sun Valley, Idaho, during the week of the eclipse are already filling up.</s>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Alaska Airlines is offering a charter flight over the Pacific Ocean this Aug. 21 that will allow select passengers to view the astronomical event from the sky.

The company said Monday that the flight will take off at 7:30 a.m. Pacific from Portland, Oregon and is by invitation-only for astronomers and serious eclipse chasers.

The total solar eclipse is the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse to hit the continental U.S. in 99 years.

A total eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth.

The path of totality — the area of complete darkness where the moon’s shadow completely obscures the sun — begins in the U.S. on the Oregon coast before traveling east.

Alaska is also holding a contest to give away tickets to one person and a guest.</s>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Alaska Airlines said Monday it will charter a flight over the Pacific Ocean this Aug. 21 so select passengers can view the astronomical event from the sky.

The flight will take off at 7:30 a.m. Pacific from Portland, Oregon and is by invitation-only for about 50 astronomers and serious eclipse chasers. The airline is also holding an online contest starting July 21 for the general public with a prize of two seats on the flight.

The total solar eclipse is the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse to hit the continental U.S. in 99 years.

FILE--In this July 9, 2009, file photo, Washington's Mount St. Helens is seen through a layer of smog as an Alaska Airlines plane comes in for a landing at Portland International Airport in Portland, Ore. Alaska Airlines is offering a charter flight off the Oregon coast during the solar eclipse Aug. 21, 2017, that will allow select passengers to view the astronomical event from the sky. The flight will take off at 7:50 a.m. from Portland, Ore., and is by invitation-only for astronomers and other experts. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, file)

A total eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun's light.

The path of totality -- the area of complete darkness where the moon's shadow completely obscures the sun -- begins in the U.S. on the Oregon coast before traveling east across the U.S.

The idea behind the flight began last year, when a group of avid eclipse chasers booked tickets on an Anchorage-to-Honolulu flight during an eclipse that could be seen over the Pacific Ocean. They successfully lobbied Alaska Airlines to adjust the flight path so they could see the event from the air, said Halley Knigge, an airline spokeswoman.

The carrier is now reaching out to those same people for this flight, as well as other astronomers, she said.

The trip in the Boeing 737 will take between four and five hours and is limited to about 50 people to make sure everyone gets a good view, Knigge said.</s>Alaska Airlines said Monday it will charter a flight over the Pacific Ocean this Aug. 21 so select passengers can view the astronomical event from the sky.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.</s>JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A new report commissioned by the state health department suggests Alaska could be forced to cut its Medicaid program under a health care overhaul bill passed by the U.S. House.

The report, prepared by the firm Manatt Health, cites as a reason proposed changes to Medicaid funding under the bill.

One-quarter of Alaska’s population currently is covered by Medicaid.

The U.S. Senate is working on its own health care bill. Alaska health department spokeswoman Katie Marquette says the state plans an analysis of the Senate’s proposal.

Marquette says Alaska health commissioner Valerie Davidson is in Washington, D.C. to meet with Alaska’s two senators and provide them with information on the state’s Medicaid program and its recipients.

She says Davidson wants to ensure Alaska’s voice is heard in the national debate.</s>Alaska Airlines said Monday it will charter a flight over the Pacific Ocean this Aug. 21 so select passengers can view the astronomical event from the sky.

The flight will take off at 7:30 a.m. Pacific from Portland, Oregon and is by invitation-only for about 50 astronomers and serious eclipse chasers. The airline is also holding an online contest starting July 21 for the general public with a prize of two seats on the flight.

The total solar eclipse is the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse to hit the continental U.S. in 99 years.

A total eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun's light.

The path of totality - the area of complete darkness where the moon's shadow completely obscures the sun - begins in the U.S. on the Oregon coast before traveling east across the U.S.

The idea behind the flight began last year, when a group of avid eclipse chasers booked tickets on an Anchorage-to-Honolulu flight during an eclipse that could be seen over the Pacific Ocean. They successfully lobbied Alaska Airlines to adjust the flight path so they could see the event from the air, said Halley Knigge, an airline spokeswoman.

The carrier is now reaching out to those same people for this flight, as well as other astronomers, she said.

The trip in the Boeing 737 will take between four and five hours and is limited to about 50 people to make sure everyone gets a good view, Knigge said.</s>SEATTLE, Wash. – Alaskan Airlines is offering a special charter flight to chase “The Great American Eclipse” on August 21, 2017. Eclipse chasers can experience the event from 35,000+ feet above earth.

The flight will depart Portland at 7:30 a.m. PDT and fly off the coast of Oregon, allowing guests on board to be among the first of millions to witness this phenomenon. The invitation-only flight is not commercially bookable, but Alaska Airlines is giving one lucky fan and a guest a chance to win a seat on the flight. The contest begins July 21 on Alaska Airlines’ social media channels.

Weather is the largest variable when it comes to eclipse-viewing, and the Pacific Northwest is more prone to inclement weather and overcast skies than other parts of the country. However, Alaska Airlines is making sure eclipse chasers on the West Coast have prime viewing conditions, above much of any potential weather or cloud cover.

“As an airline, we are in a unique position to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for astronomy enthusiasts,” said Sangita Woerner, Alaska’s vice president of marketing “Flying high above the Pacific Ocean will not only provide one of the first views, but also one of the best.”

“The Great American Eclipse” is the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in United States history since 1918. It will be viewable first from above the Pacific Ocean, before appearing in Oregon and following a diagonal path across the country to South Carolina.

While the eclipse will be visible from all over North America, totality will only be visible from specific locations across the United States. For enthusiasts looking to chase the eclipse elsewhere, the total solar eclipse is viewable within driving distance from the following Alaska Airlines destinations: Redmond/Bend, Oregon; Sun Valley, Idaho; Charleston; Nashville; St. Louis; Atlanta and Kansas City, Missouri. Flights to the prime Pacific Northwest viewing destinations of Redmond and Sun Valley are already filling up for the week of the eclipse.

At the request of eclipse-chasers in 2016, Alaska Airlines adjusted its flight path to optimize viewing of a total solar eclipse over the Pacific Ocean. With the previous eclipse, passengers aboard the flight from Anchorage to Honolulu were some of the last in the world to witness the total solar eclipse. In August, Alaska Airlines guests aboard the charter flight will be among the first to observe “The Great American Eclipse.”
• Get the gear: Watching partial stages of the eclipse requires eye protection. GreatAmericanEclipse.com provides official eclipse-viewing glasses, special for the upcoming event.
• Over 12 million people live inside the path of totality of “The Great American Eclipse.”
• As the eclipse continues its path across the country, the zone of totality will average about 70 miles wide. However, a large partial eclipse of the sun will be visible from most of the continental .
Alaska Airlines removes 11 passengers from a Juneau, Alaska to Seattle, Washington flight, due to alleged unruly and uncooperative behavior. There were no arrests.