Air France flight to U.S. diverted to Montreal due to Ebola travel restrictions

Key points

• An Air France flight bound for Detroit was diverted to Montreal after a passenger from the Congo boarded a flight in Paris “in error” amid flight restrictions tied to the Ebola outbreak, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
• A spokesperson for the agency on Thursday (May 21, 2026) said the passenger “should not have boarded” the plane on Wednesday (May 20) due to U.S. entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of Ebola spreading.
• The spokesman said in an email officials “took decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveller from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada”.
• Air France said the Congolese passenger was denied entry into the U.S. due to new regulations that travellers from certain countries, including the Congo, can enter only through Washington.
• The Department of Homeland Security also said that as of Thursday (May 21), all...