Ebola Fears Force Air France Flight Out of US Airspace

An Air France flight headed for Michigan was abruptly rerouted to Canada after US officials discovered a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo had boarded despite restrictions tied to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Africa.

According to the New York Post, the international flight, Air France Flight 378, had been scheduled to land on Wednesday afternoon at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport before authorities blocked it from entering US airspace.

Instead, the plane was diverted to Montreal Trudeau International Airport in Canada.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officials determined that a passenger from the Congo had been allowed to board “in error” despite travel restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola into the United States.

“Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” a CBP spokesperson told CBS News.

“CBP took decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveler from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada,” the spokesperson added.

The flight was operated in partnership with Delta Air Lines during the diversion.

Air France later confirmed the rerouting, stressing that the decision came at the request of US authorities and that there was no onboard health emergency during the flight.

“Air France confirms that, at the request of US authorities, Flight AF378 was diverted to Montreal Airport after a Congolese passenger on board was denied entry into the United States,” an airline spokesperson said.

“There was no medical emergency on board, and like all airlines, Air France is required to comply with the entry requirements of the countries it serves,” the airline added.

The diversion comes as U.S. agencies tighten travel protocols connected to worsening Ebola outbreaks in parts of Eastern and Central Africa.

MONGBWALU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – MAY 20: A worker disinfects at the room of someone believed to have died from Ebola at General Referral Hospital of Mongbwalu during the Ebola outbreak response in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 20, 2026. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern,” as the death toll and number of confirmed cases continue to rise. The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of several Orthoebolaviruses that can cause Ebola disease, and for which there are no approved vaccines. The highest number of cases have been reported in Congo’s eastern Ituri province, bordering Uganda. Global health officials have expressed grave concern over the capacity to contain the outbreak in a region already facing a humanitarian crisis, with highly mobile populations displaced by conflict and economic factors. (Photo by Michel Lunanga/Getty Images)

Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security announced heightened screening and travel restrictions involving passengers who recently visited affected regions.

Additional rules were also set to begin Thursday, requiring flights carrying passengers from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan to land only at Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia, according to a Department of Homeland Security memo viewed by CBS News.

Health officials continue monitoring the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Reuters reported there are currently 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 suspected deaths linked to the disease.

At least 51 infections have been confirmed in the country, while neighboring Uganda has reported two patients with the virus.

MONGBWALU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – MAY 20: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Image depicts death.) Workers in protective equipment prepare to move the body of someone believed to have died from Ebola at General Referral Hospital of Mongbwalu during the Ebola outbreak response in Mongbwalu, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 20, 2026. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern,” as the death toll and number of confirmed cases continue to rise. The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of several Orthoebolaviruses that can cause Ebola disease, and for which there are no approved vaccines. The highest number of cases have been reported in Congo’s eastern Ituri province, bordering Uganda. Global health officials have expressed grave concern over the capacity to contain the outbreak in a region already facing a humanitarian crisis, with highly mobile populations displaced by conflict and economic factors. (Photo by Michel Lunanga/Getty Images)

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the overall risk of global spread remains low, though he warned the outbreak is continuing to expand.

“We know the scale of the epidemic is much larger,” Ghebreyesus said Wednesday after discussing the confirmed case count.

“Beyond the confirmed cases, there are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected,” he added.

“We expect those numbers to keep increasing.”