Punta Gorda flight diverted to Orlando while heading to St. Louis

A flight departing from Punta Gorda Airport was diverted to Orlando shortly after departure on Thursday.

Allegiant Airlines says Flight #894 departed from PGA at 7:23 a.m. for MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV), but was soon diverted to Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) to address a "nonessential equipment issue on the aircraft".

The airline tells FOX 4 there was no emergency declared and the plane landed at 8:50 a.m. in Orlando.

"The captain made the decision to divert out of an abundance of caution and with passengers’ comfort in mind," the airline says in a statement.

Allegiant Airlines says it will issue a $50 voucher for future travel and that $12 meal vouchers were issued to customers during their wait.