An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit diverted to Montreal on Wednesday due to U.S. travel restrictions related to the Ebola outbreak in multiple African countries.
One of the flight’s passengers was from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CBS News that the airline boarded the passenger “in error on a flight to the United States.”
An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was forced to divert to Montreal on Wednesday due to U.S. flight restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak after it was determined that one of the passengers was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, federal officials and the airline…
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 21, 2026
CBS News shared further:
The spokesperson said that the passenger “should not have boarded the plane” because of “entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus.” CBP did not say when the person had last been in the Congo.
Air France said the flight was diverted “at the request of U.S. authorities” and said there was “no medical emergency on board.”
ADVERTISEMENTWhen reached about the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration directed CBS News to CBP. CBS News has also reached out to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for comment.
According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, Air France Flight 378 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport landed at Montreal Trudeau International Airport at 5:15 p.m. ET.
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an entry ban on foreign travelers who have been in the three African countries impacted by the outbreak – DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.
CDC Announces Travel Restrictions For African Countries Impacted By Ebola Outbreak
“This suspension Order applies to covered aliens who have departed from, or were otherwise present within, DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan during the last 21 days (regardless of their country of origin). This Order is based on an assessment of the most recently available data and current conditions regarding the Ebola disease outbreak,” a CDC order read.
“This order is time-limited and shall be in effect for 30 days from the date of issuance. This Order is intended to address the serious risk of introduction of Ebola disease into the United States, while allowing the U.S. Government the time necessary to conduct a full assessment of the unique public health risks posed by Ebola disease, assist with implementing surveillance, diagnostic capabilities and contact tracing, and develop a comprehensive mitigation and containment strategy in consultation with other stakeholders,” it continued.
NewsNation noted:
The strain of Ebola causing issues, the Bundibugyo virus, is immune to vaccines and antibodies developed against the most common Ebola strain, according to CDC data. The virus has a death rate between 25% and 50%, and treatment consists only of supportive care.
The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday the risk of global spread of the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda is high at national and regional levels but low at the global level despite more than 130 deaths.
“There are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “We expect those numbers to keep increasing.”
