A Detroit-bound Air France flight was diverted to Canada on Wednesday after a passenger from DR Congo boarded the aircraft despite emergency US travel restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak in central Africa.
US Customs and Border Protection said it took “decisive action” by preventing the aircraft from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport after authorities discovered that the passenger should not have been allowed to board.
“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 said in a statement.
Air France confirmed that Flight 378, which departed Paris for Detroit, was redirected to Montreal at the request of US authorities and landed at Montreal Trudeau International Airport shortly after 5 p.m. ET.
The airline stressed that there was no health emergency onboard during the flight and said it acted in line with international aviation and border requirements.
“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,” an Air France spokesperson said.
The diversion came days after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new temporary entry restrictions affecting travellers who had recently been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan.
According to the CDC, the restrictions apply to people without US passports who had been in any of the three countries within the previous 21 days. The measures are expected to remain in force for 30 days.
In a notice submitted to the Federal Register, Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security also announced new arrival rules requiring flights carrying passengers who recently travelled to the affected countries to land only at Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The notice stated that the restrictions applied to any person who “has departed from, or was otherwise present within” Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within 21 days before attempting to enter the United States.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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