An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was diverted to Montreal on Wednesday after a passenger from Congo boarded the plane in error, as U.S. officials enforced new entry restrictions tied to an Ebola outbreak in central Africa.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection took decisive action to prohibit the flight from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, according to a spokesperson for the agency. The move came amid heightened concerns over the spread of the virus, which has prompted fresh travel rules for passengers who have recently been in affected regions.
The flight touched down at Montreal Trudeau International Airport shortly after 5 p.m. ET, data from the flight tracking service FlightAware showed. Officials said the passenger should not have been allowed to board because of entry restrictions designed to reduce the risk of Ebola transmission.
"Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane," the CBP spokesperson said in a statement. Montreal airport officials referred further questions to Air France, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Monday that the United States would restrict entry for people without U.S. passports who had been in Congo, South Sudan or Uganda in the previous three weeks. That measure is set to remain in effect for 30 days.
In a notice scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Thursday, CBP and the Department of Homeland Security outlined new arrival rules requiring all flights carrying passengers who recently traveled to those three countries to land at Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia. The restrictions, which begin Thursday, apply to anyone who has departed from or been present in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within 21 days of attempting to enter the United States.
Dulles was selected as the designated airport because it is where federal authorities are concentrating public health resources for enhanced screening and response measures, according to the document. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new policy.
The Ebola outbreak has produced more than 139 suspected deaths and over 600 suspected cases, the majority in Congo, according to the World Health Organization. Health officials are particularly focused on the Bundibugyo strain driving the current surge.
A vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain remains months away from human trials, and there is no guarantee it will prove effective, the WHO said Wednesday. The development underscores the challenges health authorities face in containing the virus while managing international travel.
The diversion highlights the practical effects of the new U.S. entry rules on commercial aviation. Airlines operating routes from Europe to the United States must now navigate stricter boarding protocols for passengers with recent travel histories in the affected countries.
Passengers on the diverted flight experienced an unscheduled stop in Canada before any onward travel could be arranged under the revised protocols. Officials have not released details about the individual involved or how the boarding error occurred.
Broader implications for air travel include potential delays and rerouting for other flights as carriers adjust to the requirement that certain passengers arrive only at Dulles. Public health experts have noted that such measures aim to centralize monitoring resources at one facility.
The situation also reflects ongoing coordination between U.S. agencies and international partners as the Ebola outbreak continues in central Africa. WHO data continues to track case numbers and deaths, with efforts focused on containment in the hardest-hit areas.
Further updates are expected as Air France and Canadian authorities review the incident and as the new federal arrival restrictions take effect Thursday at Dulles.