Air France confirmed to US media that “at the request of US authorities, [the flight] was diverted to Montreal Airport after a Congolese passenger on board was denied entry into the United States”.
The US border agency CBP said: “Air France boarded a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo in error on a flight to the United States.”
The agency said it took “decisive action” to stop the flight landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. It was diverted by about 500 miles (800km) to Montreal, Canada.
The US is restricting entry for people without US passports who were in DR Congo, South Sudan or Uganda in the last three weeks.
US passport holders and permanent residents who have been in those countries can only enter through Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia for enhanced screening.
