Air France flight AF378, traveling from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, was diverted to Montreal on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, following intervention by U.S. authorities.
According to details reported by several media outlets, a passenger who had recently been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was allowed to board the aircraft, even though the person was subject to health restrictions imposed by Washington.
The flight, which was scheduled to land at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, was ultimately redirected to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.
According to statements from Air France shared with AFP, there was no medical emergency on board. The airline noted, however, that it must comply with the entry requirements of the countries it serves. U.S. authorities, for their part, determined that the passenger should not have been on board a flight bound for the United States.
U.S. restrictions imposed for 30 days
The incident came just days after the United States introduced health measures targeting travelers connected to three African countries.
On May 18, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order suspending, for 30 days, the entry into the United States of certain foreign nationals who had departed from or been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan during the 21 days before entering or attempting to enter the United States.
The measure does not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents or certain categories covered by exceptions listed in the CDC order. It is accompanied by enhanced health screening, traveler monitoring measures and coordination with airlines, international partners and authorities at ports of entry. The CDC says that, at this stage, the immediate risk to the general U.S. public remains low.
The CDC says the measures were taken in response to an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus. According to the agency’s situation page, on May 18, 2026, the CDC and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions and other public health measures to prevent the introduction of Ebola virus disease into the United States.
Washington-Dulles becomes the designated arrival airport
In addition to the CDC order, the DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a notice in the Federal Register on May 21, 2026, imposing arrival restrictions on certain international flights to the United States. According to the document, flights carrying people who have recently been in or transited through the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan must land at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The requirement applies to flights departing after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. It will remain in effect until it is canceled or modified by the Secretary of Homeland Security through a new notice published in the Federal Register.
The goal is to concentrate U.S. health resources at a single airport, where screening, monitoring and evaluation measures can be applied to affected travelers. Crew members and cargo-only flights are excluded from the measure.
This distinction is important for travelers. The U.S. restrictions are not based solely on the nationality listed in a passport. They also take into account recent presence in one of the three affected countries during the previous 21 days, regardless of the traveler’s nationality.
Visa services suspended at three U.S. embassies
The U.S. Department of State has also announced the temporary suspension of all visa services at U.S. embassies in Juba, South Sudan; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Kampala, Uganda.
The suspension applies to both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications, including tourism, business, student and exchange visas. Applicants affected by the suspension are expected to be notified directly when their appointments are rescheduled after services resume.
The State Department says, however, that the measure does not affect U.S. visas that are already valid. Nonimmigrant visa application fees remain valid for 365 days from the date the payment receipt was issued, according to information published by U.S. authorities.
A health measure that may also affect connecting travelers
For international travelers, the most sensitive point is the notion of recent presence in the affected countries. The CDC order does not apply only to people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan. It also covers certain foreign nationals who left those countries, or who were present there, during the 21 days before arriving or attempting to arrive in the United States.
A traveler who simply transited through or recently stayed in one of the three countries may therefore be affected by the restrictions, even if their itinerary to the United States begins in another country. That appears to be the logic that led to the diversion of the Air France Paris-Detroit flight, according to information provided to the media.
For airlines, these measures mean enhanced checks before boarding, particularly regarding passengers’ recent travel history. For travelers, they add another point of vigilance before any trip to the United States.
