US-bound plane diverts to Canada after person from Ebola-hit region boards 'in error'

May 21, 2026

An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was diverted to Montreal after a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo was mistakenly allowed to board, violating US entry restrictions designed to prevent the spread of Ebola. Canadian health officials assessed the passenger upon arrival and confirmed they showed no symptoms of the disease before sending them back to France on a return flight. The United States has implemented travel restrictions requiring non-US passport holders who recently visited DR Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda to be denied entry, while US citizens from these areas must enter through a designated Virginia airport for enhanced health screening.

Who is affected

The passenger from Democratic Republic of Congo who was denied US entry
Passengers and cabin crew on the Air France flight from Paris to Detroit
Air France airline
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency
Canadian health officials and Public Health Agency of Canada
People in Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda subject to travel restrictions
US passport holders and permanent residents from affected countries (restricted to specific entry point)
One American doctor infected with Ebola who worked in DR Congo

What action is being taken

Canadian health officials are assessing travelers
The infected American doctor is being treated in a special isolation ward at a hospital in Germany
The US is restricting entry for people without US passports who were in DR Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda in the last three weeks
US passport holders and permanent residents from those countries can only enter through Washington-Dulles International Airport for enhanced screening

Why it matters

This incident highlights the challenge of implementing international health security measures during a public health emergency. The Ebola outbreak in central Africa has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO, with nearly 140 deaths and over 600 suspected cases. The US entry restrictions and enhanced screening protocols represent efforts to prevent the disease from entering the country while the Bundibugyo species of Ebola currently lacks a vaccine. The mistake in allowing the passenger to board demonstrates the complexity of coordinating travel restrictions across international borders and the potential consequences when protocols fail, though the risk was mitigated by the fact that infected people can only spread Ebola after showing symptoms.

What's next

A vaccine against the Bundibugyo species of Ebola could take up to nine months before it is ready, according to the World Health Organization

Read full article from source: BBC