U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials forced an Air France flight destined for Detroit to land in Montreal instead after discovering a traveler from Congo had mistakenly gotten on the plane in Paris, violating current Ebola-related travel restrictions.
According to a spokesperson for the agency, the individual “should not have boarded” the aircraft on Wednesday because of U.S. entry limitations designed to prevent the spread of Ebola.
In an email statement, the spokesman explained that officials “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 airline confirmed that the passenger from Congo was refused U.S. entry because of new rules requiring travelers from specific nations, including Congo, to enter only through Washington.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that all U.S. citizens and permanent residents who visited Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past 21 days must now enter exclusively through Washington Dulles International Airport for additional health screenings.
Craig Currie, spokesman for the Public Health Agency of Canada, explained that American officials notified Canadian authorities about refusing the aircraft entry because of temporary travel limitations affecting anyone who had been to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan in the preceding 21 days.
Currie reported that a Montreal public health official examined the passenger and found them to be showing no symptoms. The individual was subsequently flown back to Paris.
“Air France flight AFR378, along with all other passengers, continued to its original destination of Detroit,” Currie stated in an email.
The World Health Organization declared the current Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday. This outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, which occurs less frequently than other strains and currently has no available vaccine or treatment.
