A United Airlines flight travelling between Washington's Dulles International Airport and Cancun, Mexico was diverted to Havana, Cuba after a strange odor was detected on board.

The Airbus 320, carrying 135 passengers and five crew members, landed in Havana Sunday after the crew noticed a burning smell in the cockpit.

A United Airlines spokesman said that in order to be safe the pilots decided to land the aircraft at the nearest available airport”.

Gloria Berbena,a spokeswoman for the U.S. Interests section in Cuba, said a second plane arrived from the United States later Sunday and flew the passengers out.

U.S. law restricts the travel of American citizens to Cuba, although there are frequent charter flights between the two countries.

The United States and Cuba do not maintain full diplomatic relations.