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| German airline penalized for ‘discriminating’ against Jewish passengers | German airline penalized for ‘discriminating’ against Jewish passengers |
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| Lufthansa barred more than 120 Orthodox Jewish men from boarding their connecting flight in May 2022 | Lufthansa barred more than 120 Orthodox Jewish men from boarding their connecting flight in May 2022 |
| The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced a $4 million penalty against German national airline Lufthansa for allegedly discriminating against a group of Jewish passengers. | The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced a $4 million penalty against German national airline Lufthansa for allegedly discriminating against a group of Jewish passengers. |
| According to a DOT statement on Tuesday, the airline prohibited 128 Jewish passengers, most of them wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish clothing, from boarding their connecting flight in Germany in May 2022. | According to a DOT statement on Tuesday, the airline prohibited 128 Jewish passengers, most of them wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish clothing, from boarding their connecting flight in Germany in May 2022. |
| DOT said it had received over 40 discrimination complaints from Jewish passengers who were ticketed to fly from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to Budapest, Hungary with a stop in Frankfurt, Germany. | |
| The department’s investigation into the complaints concluded that Lufthansa prohibited the whole group of Jewish passengers from completing their travel to Budapest on the basis of alleged misbehavior by a few of them. According to media reports, some individuals had allegedly refused to comply with the airline’s rules requiring them to wear face masks. | The department’s investigation into the complaints concluded that Lufthansa prohibited the whole group of Jewish passengers from completing their travel to Budapest on the basis of alleged misbehavior by a few of them. According to media reports, some individuals had allegedly refused to comply with the airline’s rules requiring them to wear face masks. |
| “Based on the alleged misconduct of some passengers,” the department said, Lufthansa staff “treated them all as if they were a single group and denied them boarding,” despite many of the passengers not knowing each other or traveling together. | “Based on the alleged misconduct of some passengers,” the department said, Lufthansa staff “treated them all as if they were a single group and denied them boarding,” despite many of the passengers not knowing each other or traveling together. |
| Local German media reported at the time that the airline’s staff excluded those passengers who were recognizable as Jews because they were wearing skull caps or had sidelocks. A video of the incident reportedly showed Lufthansa staff telling passengers that “everyone has to pay” for the mistakes of a few. | Local German media reported at the time that the airline’s staff excluded those passengers who were recognizable as Jews because they were wearing skull caps or had sidelocks. A video of the incident reportedly showed Lufthansa staff telling passengers that “everyone has to pay” for the mistakes of a few. |
| According to DOT, the fine issued to Lufthansa is the largest ever the agency has levied for “discrimination.” | According to DOT, the fine issued to Lufthansa is the largest ever the agency has levied for “discrimination.” |
| “No one should face discrimination when they travel, and today’s action sends a clear message to the airline industry that we are prepared to investigate and take action whenever passengers’ civil rights are violated,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. | “No one should face discrimination when they travel, and today’s action sends a clear message to the airline industry that we are prepared to investigate and take action whenever passengers’ civil rights are violated,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. |
| Lufthansa said in a statement on Tuesday that since the incident it had fully cooperated with the DOT as the latter conducted its investigation. | Lufthansa said in a statement on Tuesday that since the incident it had fully cooperated with the DOT as the latter conducted its investigation. |
| The German carrier apologized for the incident at the time, saying it had “zero tolerance for racism, antisemitism and discrimination of any type.” The company later said it had reached a settlement with most of the excluded Jewish passengers. | The German carrier apologized for the incident at the time, saying it had “zero tolerance for racism, antisemitism and discrimination of any type.” The company later said it had reached a settlement with most of the excluded Jewish passengers. |