The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has moved to reassure airlines and passengers that international air travel remains safe amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, as global health authorities work to contain the spread of the virus.
In a statement issued this week, the UN aviation agency said there was no evidence that commercial air travel posed a heightened risk of Ebola transmission and stressed that existing international health and aviation protocols were designed to manage such outbreaks without disrupting global connectivity.
“ICAO is coordinating with WHO and its Member States to provide risk-based and evidence-informed mitigation measures to prevent the transmission of the disease through air travel while protecting the health of aviation personnel and passengers, reassure travelers, and maintain essential air connectivity,” the organisation said, pointing to strengthened coordination procedures developed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emergency teams, treatment centres, medical supplies and community outreach.
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) May 28, 2026
The @WHO-led response to the Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo is intensifying as agencies race to contain the virus.
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ICAO stressed the importance of adhering to WHO recommendations to mitigate any risks linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which health authorities say does not spread through casual contact or through the air, but through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or blood.
The WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May after confirmed cases were reported in eastern Congo and linked cross-border infections emerged in Uganda. According to the UN health agency, the global risk of transmission remains low, even as authorities intensify surveillance and containment measures in affected regions.
Ebola outbreak: @WHO Director-General @DrTedros has arrived in DR Congo.
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) May 29, 2026
“I came here to show the communities in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu that they are not alone,” he said, urging the international community to step up support. pic.twitter.com/RuknxhLbXb
Aviation systems introduced after the COVID-19 pandemic are helping authorities respond more effectively. These include rapid information-sharing protocols between governments, airlines, airports and health agencies, as well as the use of digital health declarations and contactless border procedures.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, new protocols have been established by ICAO for rapid, standardized information sharing among States, airlines, airports, and health agencies,” the organisation said. ICAO added that updated health-related provisions have also been integrated into Annex 9 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and into its Facilitation Manual.
The outbreak has nevertheless sparked debate over airport screening measures, particularly in Europe. Questions have been raised over whether European airports should begin screening passengers arriving from affected regions, although WHO has not recommended widespread screening outside outbreak zones. Instead, the UN health agency is urging national authorities to work closely with airlines and the tourism sector.
“Countries should not close borders or impose restrictions on travel and trade,” WHO said in its latest recommendations, advising targeted exit screening in affected countries, where travellers displaying symptoms consistent with Ebola can be identified before departure.
Several countries have already stepped up monitoring procedures for arriving passengers, particularly those travelling from Central Africa. Aviation and public health authorities are also reviewing preparedness measures and contingency plans should the outbreak expand further.
In partnership with @inrb_kinshasa, we are scaling up #Ebola diagnostic capacities in the #DRC, and strengthening the laboratory network to deliver real-time data, rapidly identify confirmed cases, save their lives and swiftly contain the outbreak. pic.twitter.com/WKhaSmAe4t
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 28, 2026
Health officials continue to emphasise that Ebola is far less transmissible through casual contact than airborne diseases such as influenza or COVID-19. WHO has repeatedly stated that the likelihood of transmission during air travel remains very low because infected individuals are generally too unwell to travel once symptoms develop.
Aviation officials insist that safeguards introduced since COVID-19 have significantly improved the industry’s ability to respond to public health emergencies without grounding international travel networks.
ICAO said it would continue monitoring the situation, working closely with WHO, member states and the aviation industry as the situation develops, while maintaining that international air transport operations can continue safely under current guidance.
