A flight was redirected due to a mid-air emergency concern that a passenger might have been exposed to the Ebola virus. The plane, traveling from Paris to the US, made an unscheduled landing in Montreal following the alert.
US Customs and Border Protection revealed that the Air France passenger had mistakenly been allowed to board the flight in Paris after recent travel to East Africa, where the Ebola virus is currently a significant concern.
CBP stated that the passenger should not have been permitted to board the aircraft due to Ebola-related entry restrictions. Consequently, the flight was diverted to Montreal instead of its intended destination in Detroit.
The passenger’s health condition was not immediately clear. The plane landed in Montreal at 5:15 PM, where the passenger was removed before the flight resumed to Detroit, arriving at 8 PM.
On May 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Department of Homeland Security imposed a 30-day travel ban for non-US passport holders from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda. Travelers from or through these countries faced screenings upon departure or arrival.
Air France confirmed that a Congolese passenger was denied entry into the US, with cabin crew following safety protocols by wearing masks upon notification of the passenger’s potential exposure.
New regulations mandate that passengers arriving from certain countries, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, can only enter the US via Washington (IAD) Airport. Air France emphasized compliance with entry requirements for all countries served.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak a global public health emergency due to its rapid spread. WHO reported 51 confirmed cases in Congo and two in Uganda, with nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 possible deaths.
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