An Air France flight en route to Detroit experienced an unexpected diversion to Canada after officials discovered a passenger linked to an Ebola outbreak zone had mistakenly boarded the aircraft. This information was shared by authorities on Wednesday.
Upon realizing the situation, the aircraft landed in Montreal. The flight had originally departed from France with the passenger originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as confirmed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The spokesperson explained, “Due to entry restrictions designed to minimize the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have been allowed to board the flight.”
In response to this breach of protocol, CBP “took decisive action” and prevented the plane from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, as mentioned in their statement.
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Meanwhile, an image depicted an Airbus A320 Air France aircraft taxiing at Fiumicino airport in Italy on May 1, 2026, highlighting the ongoing global vigilance in aviation safety. (AllShotLive/Sipa USA)
The passenger was removed from the flight upon landing in Montreal, FOX2 Detroit reported, adding that the individual had not been confirmed to be infected with Ebola as of Wednesday evening.
Fox News Digital reached out to Air France for comment but did not immediately hear back.
On Monday, the United States implemented enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions and public health measures due to the widening Ebola outbreak in East and Central Africa. The travel restrictions affect those who have been in Congo, Uganda and South Sudan in recent weeks.
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The outbreak involves a rare type of Ebola known as the Bundibugyo virus. Officials said it spread undetected for weeks following the first known death.
A woman cries as Red Cross workers carry the coffin of a person who died of Ebola from a health center in Rwampara, Congo, on May 20, 2026. (Moses Sawasawa/AP)
So far, there are 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that 51 cases have been confirmed in Congo’s northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, and two cases in Uganda.
Dr. Vasee Moorthy, a special advisor at WHO, said a vaccine to address Bundibugyo would not be available for at least six to nine months.
A visitor washes his hands at a checkpoint before entering Kyeshero Hospital in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 18, 2026, as part of Ebola prevention measures following a reported case in the city. (Jospin Mwisha/AFP)
The WHO has also said “patient zero” has not been found, as health officials work to identify the source of the virus.
The Ebola virus is highly contagious and spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.
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