Air France Flight Diverted to Canada Over Ebola Entry Rules

U.S. Customs and Border Protection blocked an Air France flight from landing in Detroit on Wednesday and ordered it diverted to Montreal after determining that a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo had boarded in error. The flight, Air France Flight 378 from Paris, was scheduled to arrive at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport late Wednesday afternoon.

Officials cited entry restrictions implemented to reduce the risk of Ebola transmission.

A CBP spokesperson said the passenger should not have been allowed on the plane due to the restrictions. The agency prohibited the flight from landing in Detroit and redirected it to Montreal Trudeau International Airport. Air France confirmed the diversion occurred at the request of U.S. authorities.

The airline stated there was no medical emergency on board and that it must comply with entry requirements of the countries it serves. Passengers were notified by the captain about four hours before the scheduled arrival that U.S. authorities would not allow the plane to land.

Flight attendants then put on face masks, according to one passenger who spoke to CBS News.

The incident occurred one day before a new Department of Homeland Security rule was set to take effect. On Monday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that people without U.S. passports who had traveled to those three countries in the past three weeks would be restricted from entering the United States.

An Ebola outbreak centered in eastern Congo was confirmed May 15. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday there were at least 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths. Health officials linked the new outbreak to the Bundibugyo strain, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

The DRC currently has 600 suspected cases and 51 confirmed cases, according to Reuters.