U.S. DOT Fines Lufthansa $4 Million for Discrimination Against 128 Jewish Passengers
The record-breaking fine was issued in response to Lufthansa stopping the passengers from boarding a connecting flight.
(Washington, D.C.) The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) fined Germany-based airline Lufthansa $4 million for violating the civil rights of 128 Jewish passengers; per The Wall Street Journal, the passengers were prevented from boarding a connecting flight in Frankfurt, Germany due to the alleged misbehavior of a few unidentified fliers in May of 2022.
Photo of a Lufthansa plane taking off from Frankfurt airport courtesy of Arne Dedert / Associated Press via The Wall Street Journal.
Specifically, according to the WSJ, the passengers, who were going from New York City to Budapest in May 2022 for an annual memorial event in honor of an Orthodox rabbi, were not allowed to board a connecting flight in Frankfurt, Germany, the U.S. Transportation Department said.
The DOT’s investigation revealed that Lufthansa’s decision was based on the actions of a few passengers, yet the entire group, many wearing Orthodox Jewish attire, was denied boarding.
Per The WSJ, on the first leg of the May 2022 flight, some passengers said they were told by the crew to wear face masks and not to stand in the aisles; the passengers said they didn’t see anyone that didn’t comply. At that time, Lufthansa required passengers to wear a face mask, while U.S. and German law prohibit passengers from assembling in aisles or galley areas during a flight.
The captain of the flight informed a Lufthansa security manager of misbehavior by passengers traveling on to Budapest; no specific passengers were identified, according to the Transportation Department. Still, the airline put a hold on more than 100 passengers’ tickets, per The WSJ.
In Frankfurt, the gate staff called the names of passengers allowed to board, and left the 128 travelers waiting at the gate “confused and upset” as the plane left, the Transportation Department said, per The WSJ.
U.S. 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. From cracking down on long tarmac delays to ensuring passengers are properly refunded, our department has strengthened our enforcement efforts to hold airlines accountable for their treatment of passengers, and we will continue to push the industry to serve passengers with the fairness and dignity they deserve.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, this penalty marks the largest ever issued by the DOT for discrimination.
