Ebola ‘joke’ leads to panic on flight
An unidentified US Airways passenger caused panic among passengers and crew after calling out ‘I have Ebola’ on a flight to the Dominican Republic.
The man, who had been coughing during the flight from Philadelphia to Punta Cana, shouted ‘I’ve been to Africa’, shorting before landing.
Initial reports by the Dominican press and on social media said he also yelled, ‘I have Ebola!’
On landing, emergency personnel wearing blue hazmat suits boarded the plane and the passenger was taken to the airport’s medical centre for tests.
Medics verified that the passenger did not have a fever – a key early symptom of Ebola.
Paola Rainieri, vice president of marketing and communications for Grupo Punta Cana, which owns the airport, told reporters that the plane was held on the tarmac for nearly two hours until medical and airline officials determined there was no risk to the 200-plus passengers.
Rainieri described the incident as a ‘joke of poor taste’ by the passenger.
She said the passenger had filled out the questionnaire and noted that he had not been to Africa lately.
There have been no reported cases of Ebola in the Dominican Republic or elsewhere in the Caribbean and the rest of Latin America.
Diane
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025