A passenger's travel from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prompted the diversion of an Airbus flight from Paris to Montreal on Wednesday, after U.S. authorities determined the traveler did not meet current entry restrictions related to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.
## Incident Summary
Air France Flight 378 departed Paris for Detroit. Approximately four hours before the scheduled arrival, the flight crew informed passengers that the aircraft would be diverted to Montreal Trudeau International Airport due to a request from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The flight landed at 5:15 p.m. ET.
A CBP spokesperson stated that the agency requested the diversion because a passenger from the DRC had boarded the aircraft "in error" under entry restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak. Air France confirmed there was no medical emergency on board.
The passenger disembarked in Montreal. The remaining passengers continued to Detroit on the same aircraft.
## Entry Restrictions
On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that non-U.S. passport holders who had traveled to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past three weeks would be restricted from entering the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) required all U.S.-bound flights carrying foreign travelers who had been in those countries within the previous 21 days to land at Washington-Dulles International Airport for enhanced screening. The State Department later extended this requirement to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents returning from those countries.
"The passenger from the DRC had boarded the aircraft 'in error' under entry restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak." — CBP Spokesperson
## Passenger Account
Passenger Deborah Mistor reported that the captain announced the diversion was due to U.S. authorities refusing permission for the flight to land in the U.S. Flight attendants wore face masks during the diversion, which Mistor described as causing concern among passengers.
## Outbreak Background
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 51 confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC's northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, with two confirmed cases in Kampala, Uganda. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, stating that numbers were expected to increase.
Tedros assessed the risk of the outbreak spreading globally as low, but high for national and regional spread in the DRC and Uganda. He had previously declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
The CDC confirmed that American doctor Peter Stafford, who had been working in the DRC, tested positive for Ebola and was transported to Germany for treatment. Six other U.S. citizens were reported to have been exposed to the virus.