An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit on Wednesday was instead diverted to Montreal after it was identified that a Congolese national had boarded the flight in error. The Central African country is amid a widespread Ebola outbreak, which then prohibited the flight from touching down in the US.

Due to current restrictions on travelers from several African countries, the passenger from the Congo should not have been permitted to onboard the US-bound flight. This resulted in the airline being forced to divert mid-flight to Canada. This restriction remains in place for travelers from Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda for the next 30 days unless they hold a U.S. passport.

Air France Flight Diverted To Canada After A Traveler Onboard Had Come From The Congo

Credit: Shutterstock

With the Ebola outbreak already having killed over 100 people, the World Health Organization (WHO) has suspected more than 600 current cases. With a vaccine likely several months away from human trials, countries are taking extra precautions to limit an outbreak within their borders. The US was one of the first to take evasive action, restricting travelers from those countries from entering the US.

Air France flight 378 from Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) was forced to reroute after the carrier realized a traveler from the Congo had been permitted onto the US-bound flight. This resulted in the authorities requesting that the aircraft divert. In a statement obtained by NBC News, US Customs and Border Protection said the passenger “should not have boarded” the aircraft.

“Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane.”

Rerouting To Montreal

Credit: Flightradar24

According to Flightradar24, the flight pushed back from Paris at 4:03 PM, just 23 minutes behind its scheduled departure time of 3:40. The airline maintains a daily service to Detroit, alongside SkyTeam alliance partner Delta Air Lines‘ services. Operated by the airline’s Boeing 777-200ER, the flight took off from the Parisian airport in an easterly direction, quickly climbing to its cruising altitude of around 38,000 feet.

Across the Atlantic, it appears this is when the Congo passenger becomes known to the airline, which required the flight to divert. As the plane crossed over the Canadian province of Newfoundland, it changed direction and headed towards the French-speaking city of Montreal.

The aircraft touched down at Montreal at approximately 5:15 PM. The passenger was then removed from the flight and assessed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, and did not show any symptoms. They were then placed on a return flight to Paris.

Continuing On To Detroit

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Once the traveler in question was removed from the flight, Air France was able to continue its service to Detroit and departed from Montreal at approximately 6:39 PM. The one-hour-and-29-minute hop then had the 777 touch down in Detroit at 8:08 PM, approximately one hour and 50 minutes later than originally scheduled.

The aircraft at the center of the diversion bears registration F-GSPF (serial number 29007), according to ch-aviation. The plane was first delivered to the French flag carrier in March 1999 and has the nickname “Compiegne”. Configured to carry a total of 312 passengers, it has three classes of service on onboard: business, premium economy, and economy.

A new notice was submitted to the US Federal Register on Thursday, which announced that all flights with US passengers who have visited Ebola outbreak countries must now land in Washington Dulles International Airport(IAD), where the US government is focusing public health resources to support enhanced public health measures. This new mandate follows the recent Air France flight diverted to Montreal.