U.S. Customs and Border Protection removed Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport from the designated-airport list for covered arrivals. The change applies to flights departing after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, August 31, 2026.
CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott signed the memo addressed to “Aviation Industry Partners.” Its subject line is “Modification of List of Designated Airports Regarding Arrival Restrictions.”
The Ebola-related arrival restriction continues. Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) remain designated locations for enhanced public health screening.
The rule covers a 21-day travel history
The directive applies to flights arriving in the United States with people who recently traveled from, or were present in, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda or South Sudan. The time window is 21 days.
A person meets the definition if they departed from or were present in one of those countries within 21 days of entering, or attempting to enter, the United States. Presence in a country counts, not only departure from it.
Crew members are excluded. The exemption also covers flights carrying cargo only, without passengers or non-crew members. The remaining covered flights must use one of the three designated airports.
The airport list changed after the restriction began
The Department of Homeland Security said it acted as a “proactive measure to protect the safety of the American public in response to the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak.” Under the directive, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focuses public health resources at the designated arrival airports.
The department relied on 6 U.S.C. 112(a), 19 U.S.C. 1433(c) and 19 CFR 122.32. The restriction appeared at 91 FR 29896 on May 21, 2026, and applied to flights departing after 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
A CBP announcement dated May 24, 2026, said DHS and CBP, consulting with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT), added JFK. The change took effect for flights departing after 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 28, 2026. The announcement said IAD and Atlanta had already been added, alongside Houston.
The August memo records that the designated-airport list had included Atlanta, Houston and JFK. The removal now leaves IAD, ATL and JFK in place for the screening measures.
The airport list can be revised again
The restriction “will remain in effect until superseded, modified, or revoked by publication in the Federal Register,” the memo says.
CBP may revise the designated-airport list through a later Federal Register publication or an advisory posted on its website. The memo says a change through that process “shall be effectuated by posting an advisory to www.cbp.gov.”
