Ebola in Europe: Airport Screening, Flight Bans, and the Fine Art of Not Panicking

The latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has prompted the United States to make a U-turn on its generally relaxed approach to public health measures. On Monday, Washington announced steps to prevent the virus from spreading, including screening air travellers arriving from affected regions and, in some cases, entry restrictions. The following day, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was "deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic."

So how worried should Europeans be? What about citizens of countries with regular, direct flight routes to Kinshasa – like Belgium?

Steven Van Gucht, one of Belgium's top virologists, told Brussels Airport that the situation in the DRC is serious and must be tackled decisively there. Brussels does indeed have direct links with Kinshasa, which justifies vigilance. Brussels Airport is the primary European gateway for travel to and from the DRC. Brussels Airlines operates daily flights – seven times a week – to and from Kinshasa using Airbus A330 aircraft that can carry around 290 passengers. However, Van Gucht added that experience from previous outbreaks shows that the risk to Belgium and Europe is low.

Brussels Airlines echoed this. Joëlle Neeb, Senior Media Relations Manager, told Euronews that the airline is monitoring the situation closely in line with standard procedures, is in contact with all relevant authorities, and will adjust operations if necessary. At present, all flights are operating as scheduled, and no additional protective measures are in place. However, crews do follow specific guidelines for health and safety issues, such as monitoring for possible symptoms, applying hygiene measures like regular hand sanitisation, and limiting contact where required. If needed, they collaborate with medical services and health authorities.

The latest Ebola outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of international concern and has caused at least 131 deaths and 500 cases. But Van Gucht explained that Ebola spreads exclusively through direct contact with the bodily fluids of a symptomatic patient – not through the air – meaning it can be relatively easily contained. People are only contagious once they show symptoms, and not before. The incubation period can vary from 2 to 21 days.

That incubation period is exactly what limits the effectiveness of temperature screening on arrival, as will be done in the US. "A traveller in the incubation period does not yet have a fever and will therefore not be detected," Van Gucht said. Celine Gossner, an expert at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), told Euronews that at this stage, the ECDC is not recommending entry screening measures in Europe. "Airport screening requires substantial resources but has limited effectiveness," she said.

Both Gossner and Van Gucht noted that exit screening in affected countries is a more effective measure. Nevertheless, Van Gucht argued that entry screening can serve as an early warning system and help maintain public confidence.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said it "takes note" of the US restrictions and recognises the responsibility of every government to protect the health and security of its people. However, it considers that travel restrictions should not be used as a primary public health tool during outbreaks. "Africa CDC's position is clear: generalised travel restrictions and border closures are not the solution to outbreaks," the agency said in a press release.

The ECDC is also not proposing travel restrictions, as opposed to the US, which has placed entry restrictions on non-US passport holders who travelled to Uganda, the DRC, or South Sudan within the past 21 days. Van Gucht has also rejected the idea of banning flights from affected countries. "Such measures are of little epidemiological benefit, disrupt humanitarian aid and supply chains, and may lead to outbreaks being reported less promptly," he said.

Belgium's Foreign Affairs Ministry security advice states that due to confirmed cases of Ebola in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, all travel to these provinces is "formally discouraged." The ministry cannot officially ban travel to a particular country.

Van Gucht stressed that having clear procedures in place for sick travellers on board and for contact tracing of fellow passengers should a case be identified is key. A spokesperson from Brussels Airport said that established protocols exist: if a passenger arrives who is infected with an infectious disease, that person is evacuated by a specialist ambulance from the military hospital. The airport takes necessary measures based on the recommendations of the Public Health Ministry. To date, no instructions or guidelines have been received.

The Belgian Health Ministry's Risk Management Group did not respond to questions from Euronews regarding what additional measures could be considered. Gossner noted that travellers returning from affected areas who develop symptoms such as fever, headache, or general malaise within 21 days should seek medical attention promptly and inform healthcare providers about their recent travel history. "This early warning system is more important than widespread temperature screening of all arriving travellers," Van Gucht said. "The priority must be to maintain vigilance within our own health systems and support the response on the ground."

The ECDC is deploying experts to the DRC to support coordination and operational planning. The European Commission has not received any request for assistance through any of its international aid mechanisms, a Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday.

So the US is screening. The US is restricting. Europe is watching, advising, and preparing – but not panicking. The experts agree: airport screening is limited, flight bans are counterproductive, and exit screening in Africa works better. Brussels Airlines keeps flying. The military hospital stands ready. And the ECDC is sending experts to Kinshasa. The risk to Europe is low. The vigilance is high. Whether that is enough depends on whether the outbreak stays where it is. If it doesn't, the calculus changes. For now, Europe is holding the line – quietly, scientifically, and without fanfare. The Americans are doing it their way. The Africans are asking everyone not to overreact. And the virus, as always, does not care about borders. It only cares about bodies. So far, those bodies are 8,000 kilometres away. That is a long distance. But in the age of air travel, it is also just one flight. Brussels to Kinshasa: seven times a week. Every week. The experts are confident. The airlines are calm. The passengers are flying. Let us hope everyone is right.

Written by Andreas Hofer