FILE - Air France planes are parked on the tarmac at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, in Roissy, near Paris, May 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

By The Canadian Press

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

May 21, 2026 | 12:03 AM

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says an Air France flight bound for the United States was diverted to Montreal after a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo boarded “in error” amid flight restrictions tied to the Ebola outbreak.

A spokesperson for the agency says the passenger “should not have boarded” the plane bound for Detroit due to U.S. entry restrictions put in place to reduce Ebola risk.

Online plane tracker FlightAware showed the plane was en route from Paris to Detroit when it landed at Trudeau International Airport on Wednesday.

The U.S. border agency said it was taking “necessary measures” to protect public health in co-ordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Canadian health officials did not immediately return requests for comment.

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: April Labour Force Survey shows B.C.'s resilience

21h ago

Question of the Week

Do you think the federal government should revive the Canadian Forces Snowbirds by acquiring new fleet of aircraft?

May 19, 2026

1000 Ways to Heal

1000 WAYS TO HEAL: Are you here right now?

May 19, 2026

Air France said the 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.

Health officials are on alert as a deadly outbreak of a rare type of Ebola called Bundibugyo ravages the Congo and neighbouring Uganda.

Ontario’s health ministry says one person has been tested for several infectious diseases, including Ebola, out of an abundance of caution due to the person’s travel history.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says samples are expected to arrive at the National Microbiology Laboratory on Thursday.

The World Health Organization has reported almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, though officials believe the scale of the spread is much larger.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2026.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Click here to report an error or typo in this article

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

Our Community