health

Air France flight bound for Detroit diverted to Canada over passenger from Congo, officials say

Updated on: May 21, 2026 / 12:33 AM EDT / CBS News

Air France flight bound for Detroit diverted to Canada over passenger from Congo, officials say

TL;DR

  • An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was diverted to Montreal, Canada.
  • The diversion occurred due to U.S. flight restrictions related to the Ebola outbreak.
  • A passenger determined to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo had boarded the flight in error.
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intervened, preventing the flight from landing in Detroit.
  • Other passengers on the flight were later transported from Montreal to Detroit on the same aircraft.
  • Flight attendants put on face masks after the diversion announcement.
  • New U.S. rules require foreign travelers from Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan to fly into Washington-Dulles International Airport.
  • An Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has resulted in hundreds of suspected cases and deaths, linked to a strain with no approved vaccines or treatments.