Air France Flight Diverted Under Ebola Rules

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published May 21, 2026

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Canadian public health officials said a passenger on an Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was assessed in Montreal after the aircraft was diverted to Canada because of temporary U.S. entry restrictions linked to Ebola outbreaks abroad. The Public Health Agency of Canada said the traveler had no symptoms and later returned to Paris, while the flight continued to Detroit with the remaining passengers.

U.S. authorities said the passenger, who was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, should not have boarded the flight under new travel rules affecting people who had recently been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan. The measures are intended to direct certain travelers through designated entry points where enhanced health screening is available.

Air France said there was no medical emergency on board and that the diversion was made at the request of U.S. authorities after the passenger was denied entry under the new regulations.

Ontario health officials have also said there are no confirmed Ebola cases in the province, while appropriate infection prevention and control measures are being used in the assessment of any possible case.

Canadian health guidance says Ebola does not spread through the air or casual contact, such as sitting in the same room. It spreads mainly through direct contact with the body fluids of a person or animal with symptoms. The Public Health Agency of Canada says the risk of getting Ebola in Canada remains very low.