KLM has cancelled flights to and from Entebbe Airport in Uganda following travel restrictions linked to an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, highlighting growing disruption to international aviation as governments tighten health-related entry rules.
The Dutch airline said late on Friday that it had been forced to suspend services due to restrictions imposed by several countries on travellers and crew members who had recently passed through Entebbe.
While KLM stressed that the area itself is not currently classified as an active high-risk zone, it said operational constraints had made it impossible to maintain planned routes.
Two scheduled flights between Amsterdam and Entebbe, with a layover in Kigali, were cancelled on Saturday and Monday, according to Flightradar24 data.
“We’re continuing to monitor the situation and looking into what’s possible,” the airline said in a travel advisory.
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The disruption comes amid a wider international response to an Ebola outbreak declared in parts of Central Africa, involving a rare strain of the virus identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The World Health Organization has classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, though it has stopped short of declaring it a pandemic-level emergency.
Airlines and governments have begun introducing precautionary measures, particularly targeting travellers who have recently been in affected regions.
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KLM is among several carriers adjusting operations as countries tighten screening procedures and impose entry restrictions linked to travel history.
The United States has introduced enhanced health screening and travel controls aimed at limiting potential cross-border transmission of the disease.
European carriers have also been affected. Belgian airline Brussels Airlines said it had been forced to adjust crew schedules after U.S. restrictions prevented staff who had recently travelled through Uganda or the Democratic Republic of Congo from entering American territory.
The airline said it would make “significant adjustments” to maintain operations on routes to Entebbe, Kinshasa and major U.S. destinations, including New York and Washington.
Other carriers have also reported operational challenges. An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was diverted to Montreal in May after a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo boarded in error, according to media reports.
Meanwhile, Gulf carrier Emirates has advised passengers to check entry requirements carefully before travelling, citing Ebola-related restrictions imposed by several countries.
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The developments highlight how quickly disease outbreaks can ripple through global aviation networks, particularly when multiple countries impose overlapping travel restrictions based on transit history rather than direct exposure risk.
Health authorities continue to emphasise that the current outbreak is being monitored closely and that containment measures are focused on affected regions in Central Africa.
However, the resulting travel restrictions are already affecting airline scheduling, crew rotations and international connectivity across multiple continents.
Aviation analysts say prolonged restrictions could lead to further disruptions on African and long-haul routes, especially if additional countries adopt similar precautionary measures in the coming weeks.
For now, airlines say they are monitoring the situation closely while seeking to balance public health requirements with maintaining international flight operations.
