United Airlines flight diverted to Tampa due to possible mechanical issue

(Reuters) - United Airlines said on Thursday one of its jets flying from Sarasota to Chicago was diverted to the Tampa International Airport on Wednesday afternoon to address a possible mechanical issue.

Flight 2434, an Airbus A319 according to flight tracking data, landed safely at the airport and departed after the mechanical issue was addressed, the carrier said.

The airline is already reeling from significant flight cancellations as it continues to wait for regulatory approvals related to its Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets.

U.S. regulators grounded 171 MAX 9 planes after a panel blew off a flight operated by Alaska Air not long after taking off from a Portland, Oregon, airport last week, forcing pilots to scramble to land the plane safely.

(Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Kriishna Chandra Eluri)