Ebola risk diverts Detroit flight as US to update travel restrictions
Newsweek
Last updated: May 21, 2026
An Air France flight bound for Detroit was diverted to Montreal, Canada, due to concerns about a passenger potentially exposed to Ebola. This diversion was a result of U.S. entry restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the virus.
- The Air France flight, originating from Paris, mistakenly carried a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country currently experiencing an Ebola outbreak. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that non-U.S. passport holders from the DRC, South Sudan, and Uganda are subject to a 30-day travel ban implemented due to the confirmed Bundibugyo virus outbreak in northeastern DRC. Uganda has also reported imported cases.
- While South Sudan has not confirmed cases in this outbreak, it is deemed high-risk. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is implementing enhanced public health measures at a U.S. airport receiving the most travelers from these high-risk countries.
- Furthermore, new restrictions are expected, requiring all flights with passengers who have been in the DRC, South Sudan, or Uganda within the last 21 days to land at Washington-Dulles International Airport.
