Detroit-bound plane diverted to Canada after passenger from Ebola-hit region boarded ‘in error’, officials say

Detroit-bound plane diverted to Canada after passenger from Ebola-hit region boarded ‘in error’, officials say

US implemented entry restrictions Monday due to Ebola outbreak with 139 suspected deaths and 600 cases in Africa

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An Air France flight headed for Detroit was rerouted to Canada mid-journey after authorities realized a passenger linked to an Ebola outbreak zone in Africa had boarded the plane "in error," officials said Wednesday.

The flight landed in Montreal on Wednesday after taking off from France with a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane," the spokesperson said.

CBP "took decisive action" to prohibit the plane from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, according to the statement.

EBOLA OUTBREAK REPORTED IN AFRICAN COUNTRY — HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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.

WHO DECLARES EBOLA OUTBREAK IN CENTRAL AFRICA A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY AFTER 80 SUSPECTED DEATHS

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.

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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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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