Lufthansa, Germany’s largest airline, has received a record fine of $4 million for discriminating against Jewish passengers, as announced by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) on Tuesday.
The penalty relates to an incident from May 2022, where 128 Jewish passengers were barred from boarding a flight.
According to the DOT’s consent order, these passengers were dressed in “distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men” and were denied boarding as a group.
They were unable to connect from a flight arriving in Frankfurt to Budapest due to “alleged misbehavior of a few” passengers.
However, it was clarified that the individuals did not know each other and were not traveling together.
In response, Lufthansa stated that the situation arose from “an unfortunate series of inaccurate communications, misinterpretations, and misjudgments throughout the decision-making process.”
The airline expressed regret over the incident but maintained that these actions “do not support any finding of discrimination,” contesting the DOT’s conclusions.
The reported misbehavior included 60 passengers onboard who “repeatedly disregarded” safety and public announcements from flight attendants and the flight deck.
Additionally, the crew noted that some passengers hindered the economy class food and beverage service, “inconvenienced other passengers,” and had disputes with staff over mask-wearing policies.
The DOT remarked that this penalty marks the largest ever imposed by the federal agency for civil rights violations.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized that “no one should face discrimination when they travel,” adding that this action sends a “clear message to the airline industry” about the commitment to investigate and address violations of passengers’ civil rights.
Lufthansa remarked that it has fully cooperated with the DOT during the review process following the incident involving its Jewish passengers.
The airline also noted its collaboration with Jewish organizations, such as the American Jewish Committee, to develop training programs aimed at combating antisemitism and discrimination.
In its statement, Lufthansa affirmed, “We are dedicated to being an ambassador of goodwill, tolerance, diversity, and acceptance.”
Source-CNN
