Flight Diversion Due to Ebola-Related Restrictions

An Air France flight traveling from Paris to Detroit had to divert to Montreal on Wednesday. This change was prompted by U.S. flight restrictions tied to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. It came to light that one of the passengers was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as confirmed by federal officials and the airline.

According to a spokesperson from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air France mistakenly allowed the passenger to board for a flight to the U.S. They indicated that this individual “should not have boarded the plane” due to entry restrictions intended to mitigate the Ebola virus risk.

The airline stated that the diversion was made “at the request of U.S. authorities” and clarified that there was “no medical emergency on board.”

When asked for more details about the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration referred inquiries to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Efforts to obtain additional comments from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were also made.

Flight tracking data revealed that Air France Flight 378 landed at Montreal Trudeau International Airport at approximately 5:15 p.m. ET. The current health status of the passenger from Congo remains uncertain.

The CBP did not specify when the passenger had last been in Congo nor whether they were exhibiting any symptoms of the virus. Experts, including Dr. Céline Gounder, an infectious diseases specialist, mentioned that Ebola can only be transmitted if a person is showing symptoms.

The current outbreak in eastern Congo was confirmed on May 15 by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reported on Wednesday that there are at least 600 suspected cases, including 139 suspected fatalities. Health professionals have noted that the outbreak is associated with the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccines or treatments available.

New Travel Restrictions

On Monday, the CDC stated that individuals without U.S. passports who have traveled to Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past three weeks would be restricted from entering the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that all flights heading to the U.S. carrying foreign travelers who have visited these countries within the last 21 days must land at Washington-Dulles International Airport. Further clarification came from the State Department, indicating that U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents with prior travel to those nations must also use Washington-Dulles as their entry point.

Both the CDC and DHS plan to implement “enhanced public health screening” at this airport. However, how these rules interact with prior CDC orders remains unclear.

Dr. Gounder compared the decision to funnel flights to one airport to measures taken during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2013 to 2016, which restricted entry through only a few designated airports. She noted that this system is not intended to completely block travelers but rather to facilitate health screenings.

She also pointed out that existing immigration restrictions already limit travel between the affected regions and the U.S.

Passenger Experience

Deborah Mistor, a business class passenger on the flight, shared her experience with CBS News. She mentioned that the passenger from the Congo exited the plane at Montreal Trudeau, while the other passengers were subsequently flown to Detroit on the same aircraft.

Mistor stated that they were informed by the captain about four hours before their expected arrival in Detroit that U.S. authorities had prohibited landing in the U.S. However, no clarification was initially provided regarding the reasons behind this decision.

She recalled that about 30 minutes later, the captain reassured the passengers that there were “no technical difficulties” with the aircraft and reiterated that the diversion was solely due to U.S. authorities’ orders. Shortly after, flight attendants began wearing face masks.

“It’s puzzling,” Mistor noted, “They assure us everything is fine, yet everyone has their masks on.” This sudden change made her feel concerned, making her wonder about the situation and its implications.