Airline Caught Unawares by Ebola Outbreak as Plane Makes Emergency Diversion
An Air France flight bound for Detroit was diverted to Montreal after US border authorities flagged a passenger from the Democratic Republic of the Congo on board amid newly imposed travel restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak. The incident occurred on Wednesday, 20 May 2026 local time and prompted swift responses from health and border security authorities. The Air France aircraft, scheduled to land at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, was ordered to divert to Montreal after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determined the passenger should not have been allowed to board.
“Because the entry restrictions are in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have been allowed to board the aircraft,” a CBP spokesperson said in a formal statement.
“CBP has taken decisive action and restricted flights carrying that traveller to land at Montreal, Canada,” the statement continued.
Authorities said the move was part of efforts to prevent the Ebola outbreak from entering the United States, especially after a spike in cases in East and Central Africa.
A CBP spokesperson added that the agency is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to bolster public health protections.
“CBP, in coordination with the CDC, is taking the necessary steps to protect public health and reduce the risk of the Ebola virus entering the United States,” the spokesperson said, as reported by The Guardian.
The US government had recently tightened international travel rules related to the Ebola outbreak. On Monday, the CDC, together with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced the implementation of temporary measures to prevent the spread of the disease to the US.
New steps include stricter travel screening, entry restrictions, and additional health protocols for international travellers.
One of the main rules enacted is a ban on entry for non-US passport holders who have been in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days. The rule takes effect for 30 days from the announcement.
Additionally, from Thursday local time, DHS will impose further restrictions on all flights to the US carrying foreign nationals from Ebola epicentre countries.
In a notice filed with the Federal Register, DHS states that all flights to the US carrying foreign travellers who have been in Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days must first land at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The government says that airport will be the hub for the implementation of additional public health checks.
“The US Government is concentrating public health resources there to implement the strengthened health measures,” the DHS notice states.
Public health concerns over Ebola have risen in recent weeks.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that nearly 600 suspected Ebola cases have been reported with 139 deaths linked to the outbreak; numbers are likely to rise further.
Tedros noted 51 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “While we know the scale of the outbreak in the DRC is much larger,” he said.
Besides Congo, Uganda has also confirmed two cases.