US Authorities Bar Air France Flight Over Passenger's 'Error' Amid Ebola Outbreak

US authorities barred an Air France flight from entering an airport in Detroit on Wednesday (US time) over just one passenger’s “error.” After US Customs and Border Protection executed the “decisive action” to prohibit Flight 378 from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , the aircraft had to be diverted to a Canadian airport instead. The passenger in question, whose “error” forced the redirection of the Air France flight, had boarded the plane from Congo merely days after the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced restrictions against non-US passport holders who had been in Congo, South Sudan or Uganda in the last three weeks. Effective for the next 30 days, the strict rule was imposed amid the Ebola outbreak in central Africa. Issuing a statement in response to the development, a US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said, “Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” as quoted by NBC News. After departing Paris on Wednesday, the Air France plane ultimately landed at Montreal Trudeau International Airport following a diversion “at the request of US authorities,” the US outlet reported, citing the Canadian airport. Air France has since also confirmed in a statement that there was no medical emergency on board the plane. However, the airline was obligated to comply with the “entry requirements of the countries it serves.” Under the leadership of US President Donald Trump, the US government announced Monday that it was expanding screening measures and restrictions in light of the growing Ebola outbreak. According to the CDC’s proclamation this week, the restrictions don’t apply to US citizens, green card holders or US service members. The new rule targeted three African nations affected by the viciously spreading disease, as the Democratic Republic of Congo’s health minister, Samuel Roger Kamba, declared earlier this week that at least 131 people have died from the new virus outbreak. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention further reported that there had also been one death in Uganda. A notice submitted to the Federal Register stated, “The arrival restrictions apply to flights departing after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Arrival restrictions continue until cancelled or modified by the Secretary of Homeland Security, and notice of such cancellation or modification is published in the Federal Register.” Detailing the origins of the spreading disease, the notice published Thursday disclosed that an Ebola disease outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has no vaccine, was confirmed in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15, 2026. As of May 17, there were a total of 12 confirmed cases, 336 suspected cases and 88 deaths in the DRC. Thereafter, Uganda also sounded the alarm on imported cases from Congo. Although South Sudan hadn’t reported confirmed cases amid the current outbreak, the African country is believed to be at high risk because of its close border with affected areas. Meanwhile, a CBS News report suggested that at least six Americans were exposed to the virus in Congo. It remains unclear if they had been infected. Noting that the outbreak currently poses a low immediate risk to the general public in the US, the CDC also stated, “We will continue to evaluate the evolving situation and may adjust public health measures as additional information becomes available.” Amid the flight arrival restriction, US authorities have advised flights carrying people who have recently travelled from Congo, Uganda or South Sudan to only land at the Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Virginia. “This list of designated airports may be modified by the Secretary of Homeland Security in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Transportation,” Markwayne Mullin, DHS Secretary, added in the official notice.