An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was forced to divert to Canada on Wednesday after U.S. customs officials determined that a passenger from the Democratic Republic of the Congo was on board, in violation of temporary travel restrictions meant to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed the flight was barred from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and had to land at Montreal-Trudeau instead.
“Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” CPB told CBS News.
The U.S. government is limiting entry for travelers without American passports who were recently in the Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda. An ongoing Ebola outbreak in the region has killed almost 150 people.
It was not immediately clear if the passenger from the Congo had been exposed to the virus or was showing symptoms.
“There was no medical emergency on board, and like all airlines, Air France is required to comply with the entry requirements of the countries it serves,” Air France said in a statement.
A business-class passenger on the flight told CBS News that the remaining passengers were flown from Montreal to Detroit on the same aircraft.
Starting Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security will require all U.S.-bound flights carrying passengers who have recently been in the Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda to arrive via Washington Dulles. The government is “focusing public health resources” at Dulles and will implement “enhanced public health measures” there, the department said.
An American doctor working in the Congo fell sick with Ebola earlier this week and was flown to Germany, where he is receiving treatment. Several other Americans who were exposed to the virus in the region are in isolation at facilities in Europe; they remain asymptomatic for the time being, according to the CDC.
