Air France Flight 378 denied entry into the United States over Ebola scare. Plane sent to land in Canada instead
“Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” a spokesperson of the Customs and Border Protection explained.
Black News 
An Air France aircraft with Flight number 378, was denied entry into the United States airspace and instead got diverted to Canada after concerns emerged over a passenger’s potential exposure to Ebola.
The flight, which was scheduled to arrive at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on Wednesday afternoon of May 20, 2026, had to be rerouted to Montreal–Trudeau International Airport of Canada, following intervention by the United States authorities.
An official statement from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said a passenger traveling from the Democratic Republic of Congo had been mistakenly permitted to board the plane despite existing entry restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak.
“Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” a spokesperson of the Customs and Border Protection explained.
“The Customs and Border Protection took the decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveler from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada.”
To date, no cases of Ebola disease have been confirmed in the United States because of this outbreak.
On May 17, an American who was exposed as part of work caring for patients in DRC tested positive for Ebola Bundibugyo disease.
The patient has been transported to Germany for treatment and care. In addition to a shorter flight time, Germany has previous experience caring for Ebola patients.
High-risk contacts associated with this exposure are also being moved to Germany and Czechia.
And, in yet another development, the DR Congo national football team’s training camp, originally scheduled to camp in Kinshasa ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has been called off due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country.
The Léopards will now regroup in Europe instead, the football team’s media officer confirmed the changes explaining that the club’s relocation is strictly precautionary, driven by health and safety concerns surrounding the epidemic.
The latest Ebola outbreaks have killed at least 66 people. The majority, that is 65 deaths have occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while one person is reported dead in Uganda.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says it will take nine months before a vaccine for the new strain of Ebola Bundibugyo could roll out.
But despite ongoing territorial conflicts, diseases and pandemics, the DR Congo’s economy remains resilient. In fact, stronger.
As of May 2026, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) holds the position of the largest economy in the East African Community (EAC), according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) figures.
The DR Congo’s rapid growth is driven by mining exports and infrastructure investments, though instability and governance issues limit its full potential.
