US plane diverted to Midway atoll

A United Airlines flight from Hawaii to Guam has been diverted to the remote island of Midway because of a mechanical issue.

The airline said on Friday it flew the 335 passengers and 13 crew members from Flight 201 back to Honolulu.

It put Guam-bound passengers on another flight to the US territory.

The Boeing 777 was heading to Guam on Thursday when it was diverted.

United says replacement aircraft brought passengers back to Honolulu on Friday morning.

The US navy used the atoll 2090 kilometres northwest of Honolulu as a base during the Cold War but left in 1996.

It's now a US wildlife refuge home to more than 1 million seabirds, green sea turtles and endangered Hawaiian monk seals.

The island's residents manage the airstrip and wildlife refuge.