Air France (AF) Flight 378 — a scheduled service operating a Boeing 777-200 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) — was prohibited from entering United States airspace on May 20, 2026, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determined that a Congolese national on board had been allowed to board in direct violation of emergency entry restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak then spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, CBS News reported.
CBP directed the aircraft to divert to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL), where it landed at approximately 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time, according to FlightAware tracking data. The incident took place on the same day the Department of Homeland Security formally announced that, effective from May 21, all U.S.-bound flights carrying foreign travelers who had been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days would be required to land exclusively at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Virginia.
What Exactly Happened Aboard Air France Flight AF378
Air France Flight AF378 departed Paris-Charles de Gaulle at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time on May 20, 2026. The flight operates in a codeshare arrangement with Delta Air Lines (DL) — listed as Delta codeshare DL8719 — and the Boeing 777-200 was carrying up to 312 passengers when U.S. authorities transmitted the prohibition on landing in Detroit. The captain announced the diversion to passengers approximately four hours before the originally scheduled Detroit arrival time, according to business class passenger Deborah Mistor, who spoke to CBS News in a post-flight interview.
Mistor described a cabin in which the crew provided minimal information at first — the captain confirmed only that U.S. authorities were not permitting the aircraft to land in the United States, without initially disclosing the reason. A second announcement followed approximately 30 minutes later, in which the captain explicitly confirmed there were no mechanical issues with the aircraft.
After the diversion announcement, Air France cabin crew donned face masks and suspended onboard services, including the pre-arrival business class meal service. “They’re telling you it’s OK, it’s not a mechanical issue, but everybody has a mask on. Having a crew mask up when they were not informing us of what was going on is very concerning,” Mistor told CBS News:
“It lets your mind wander as to what the situation you’re being placed in might be.”
The aircraft landed in Montreal at 5:15 p.m. ET, and passengers without the entry restriction were subsequently ferried from Montreal to Detroit on the same aircraft, arriving at DTW at approximately 8:18 p.m.
CBP’s Mid-Air Intervention
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed to CBS News that Air France had mistakenly allowed the Congolese passenger to board the flight. The agency said the traveler was subject to U.S. entry restrictions introduced to reduce the risk associated with Ebola, meaning the screening error occurred before departure rather than at the U.S. border.
As a result, CBP ordered the Air France flight to be prevented from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and diverted to Montreal, Canada. The agency said the decision was taken because passengers arriving from certain countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), were required to enter the United States through designated airports.
CBP did not reveal whether the passenger had displayed any symptoms associated with Ebola or provide details about when the individual had last been in the DRC. However, the passenger had not tested positive for the virus, while Air France confirmed that no medical emergency occurred during the flight.
Air France acknowledged that it must comply with the entry requirements of countries it serves and confirmed that the passenger should not have been permitted to board under the applicable restrictions.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also directed questions about the diversion to CBP, reinforcing that the decision to prevent the aircraft from landing in Detroit was related to U.S. border-entry enforcement rather than an aviation safety intervention.
The Emergency CDC And DHS Orders That Triggered the Diversion
The diversion of AF378 was a direct consequence of two overlapping federal public health orders issued in the days immediately preceding the flight. On May 18, 2026, the CDC — acting under the authority of Sections 362 and 365 of the Public Health Service Act — implemented a Title 42 order restricting entry for non-U.S. citizens or nationals who had been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan at any point in the preceding 21 days. U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and U.S. service members retained the right to enter, but remained subject to enhanced public health screening upon arrival.
Separately, the DHS formally announced on May 20 — the day of the diversion itself — that effective from flights departing after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time that same day, all U.S.-bound passenger flights carrying individuals who had recently been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan would be required to land exclusively at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The order was issued under the authority of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and explicitly exempted cargo-only flights and government-operated aircraft.
The DHS described Washington Dulles as the designated facility “where the U.S. government is focusing public health resources to implement enhanced public health measures,” though the order did not specify the precise nature of those measures.
Why the United States Acted with Such Speed
The urgency behind the American response is rooted in the particular characteristics of this outbreak’s causative pathogen. The Bundibugyo virus — a distinct Ebolavirus species first identified in Uganda in 2007 — has now triggered its third recorded outbreak, and for the second time it has crossed into Uganda from the DRC. Unlike the more common Zaire ebolavirus strain, for which approved vaccines and therapeutics exist, the Bundibugyo strain has no licensed vaccine or specific treatment. According to US News, two candidate vaccines are under consideration but are estimated to require three to nine months of development before deployment.
The outbreak began with the first known symptomatic case — a health worker in Mongbwalu Health Zone, Ituri Province — reporting onset on April 24, 2026. However, WHO officials confirmed on May 20 that they believe the outbreak likely started approximately two months prior to official confirmation, meaning the Bundibugyo virus had been circulating undetected through a densely populated region for weeks before any surveillance response could be activated.
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