An Air France flight was diverted due to ebola concerns (Image: Getty)
A flight has been diverted after a mid-air emergency due to concerns that a passenger on board may have been exposed to the Ebola virus.
The flight was en route from Paris to the US, when it landed in Montreal after the scare.
According to US Customs and Border Protection, the Air France passenger was allowed to board the 378 flight in Paris ‘in error’ after recently visiting East Africa, which is currently dealing with the virus.
CBP said: “Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane.
“CBP took decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveler from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada.”
It was unclear whether the passengers was showing any symptoms of the condition.
A flight tracker showed the flight landing in Montreal at 5.15pm.
From here, it is believed the passenger was escorted off the plane before it could then continue on its path towards Detroit, landing at 8pm.
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The CDS and US Department of Homeland Security announced a 30-day travel ban on May 18 for non US passport holders from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Uganda.
Screenings were also introduced for all travelers who departed from airports in those countries or have visited them in the last 21 days.
Air France confirmed that a Congolese passenger on board was denied entry into the United States.
According to an Air France source in Paris, flight attendants immediately put on masks when made aware of the passenger, as per protocol.
“Under new regulations, passengers arriving from certain countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, may only enter US territory via Washington (IAD) Airport,” the statement said.
“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.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, due to dears about its “scale and speed.”
WHO said on Wednesday that there have been 51 cases confirmed in Congo’s northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, and two cases in Uganda. There are 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases.