Detroit-bound flight diverted over Ebola-linked restrictions

A flight destined for Detroit was diverted to Montreal on Wednesday after a passenger from Congo boarded the flight “in error,” according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

The Congo passenger’s travel to the U.S. was restricted under a new travel ban from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during a growing Ebola outbreak in Africa.

The CDC’s Monday order applies to travelers who have been in Uganda, Congo or South Sudan in the past three weeks — three nations that have been impacted by this virus. This restriction is in effect for 30 days. 

“Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” a CBP spokesperson told The Hill in a statement on Thursday. 

“CBP took decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveler from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada,” the spokesperson continued. “CBP, in coordination with CDC, is taking the necessary measures to protect public health and reduce the risk of Ebola disease introduction into the United States.”

An Air France spokesperson also confirmed that Flight 378 was diverted to Montreal “at the request of U.S. authorities” after its departure from Paris on Wednesday. 

“There was no medical emergency on board,” they told The Hill. “The passenger was disembarked with his luggage, and the plane was able to depart for Detroit.”

“Like all airlines, Air France is required to comply with the entry requirements of the countries it serves,” the spokesperson added.

The CBP and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new travel restrictions, including enhanced screenings, on Thursday to flights carrying people who were in the

In a notice submitted to the Federal Register, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said all flights carrying people who have traveled to these countries in the past three weeks will be required to land at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. 

The notice explained that this is “where the U.S. government is focusing public health resources to implement enhanced public health measures.” The order went into effect on Thursday. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.”

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said during a press conference last Tuesday that there have been 30 confirmed cases, more than 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths related to the virus.