A Wrong Turn at 30,000 Feet: Air France Flight Diverted Over Ebola Travel Ban

An Air France jet bound for Detroit was rerouted to Canada on Wednesday after U.S. border officials discovered a passenger from the Democratic Republic of the Congo had boarded the plane despite new Ebola-related entry restrictions.

The flight, originally scheduled to land at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, was instead sent to Montreal. A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed the traveler “should not have boarded the plane” under rules designed to curb the spread of the Ebola virus.

The agency, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said it acted quickly to keep the aircraft out of the U.S. and is now coordinating with Canadian authorities. The incident comes just two days after the CDC and Department of Homeland Security announced temporary measures targeting travelers from East and Central Africa, where an Ebola outbreak has been growing.

Under the new rules, foreign nationals who have visited Uganda, the DRC, or South Sudan within the past 21 days are barred from entering the United States. Starting Thursday, any U.S.-bound flight carrying such passengers must land at Washington-Dulles International Airport, where health screening resources are concentrated.

The World Health Organization reported Wednesday that nearly 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 suspected deaths have been recorded so far, with 51 confirmed in the DRC. Uganda has confirmed two cases. The WHO also noted that an American citizen working in the DRC had tested positive and was transferred to Germany for treatment.

Officials expect the numbers to rise as the outbreak continues to spread.