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An Air France flight bound for Detroit was unexpectedly diverted to Canada when officials discovered that a passenger from an Ebola-affected region in Africa had mistakenly boarded, authorities revealed on Wednesday.
The aircraft, which had departed from France, was rerouted to land in Montreal. This decision came after it was discovered that a traveler from the Democratic Republic of Congo was on board, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) representative told Fox News Digital.
“In light of the entry restrictions established to mitigate the risk of the Ebola virus, this passenger should not have been allowed to board the aircraft,” the spokesperson clarified.
According to the statement, CBP “acted promptly” to prevent the plane from reaching Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
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An Airbus A320 Air France aircraft taxis at Fiumicino airport in Italy on May 1, 2026. (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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