US Fines Lufthansa $4 Million for Denying Boarding to Jewish Passengers

Parked aircrafts operated by German airline Lufthansa are pictured at Berlin Brandenburg BER airport Willy-Brandt in Schoenefeld near Berlin, Germany, on May 31, 2021. Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ordered Lufthansa on Oct. 15 to pay a $4 million fine following a May 2022 incident, in which the German airline denied boarding to 128 Jewish passengers.

This marks the largest fine the DOT has ever issued against an airline for civil rights violations. The department stated that Lufthansa was being fined for allegedly discriminating against Jewish passengers.

The DOT stated that most of the passengers denied boarding on the 2022 flight were wearing “distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men” and were not acquainted with each other.

The passengers were traveling from New York City to Budapest, Hungary, but they were denied boarding a connecting flight in Frankfurt, Germany, due to the alleged misbehavior of a few, according to a DOT statement.

Passengers interviewed by the DOT said that Lufthansa treated them as “a single group” and blocked them from boarding the flight, even though they did not know each other and were not traveling together.

The department said it received more than 40 discrimination complaints from Jewish passengers following the incident.

“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,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The DOT stated that of the total $4 million fine imposed on the airline, $2 million will be credited as compensation that Lufthansa already paid to the affected passengers, according to its consent order.

Lufthansa’s Response to Complaint

In its response statement published by the DOT, Lufthansa said that it regretted the incident, and had publicly apologized for it, but emphasized that its crew “did not discriminate against any passenger on the basis of perceived religion or ethnicity.”

Lufthansa said that as many as 60 passengers “repeatedly disregarded” both in-flight public address announcements and crew instructions during the first flight.

The airline said the passengers refused to comply with safety and security requirements, with some even arguing with crew members and other passengers about wearing face masks.

Lufthansa added that some passengers obstructed flight attendants in the economy class cabin from providing on-board food and beverage service and caused “inconvenience” to other passengers.

Despite the airline’s claims, the DOT said that Lufthansa failed to identify any one passenger who was non-compliant with crew instructions during the flight.

In its response, the airline said that it was unable to identify the non-compliant passengers because the infractions were “so numerous” and the misconduct occurred over “substantial portions of the flight.” It added that passengers were changing seats during the flight.

Lufthansa said that the denied boarding incident was a result of “an unfortunate series of inaccurate communications, misinterpretations, and misjudgments throughout the decision-making process,” but the airline maintained that these actions “do not support any finding of discrimination and the department’s findings in this case.”

The airline said it agreed to pay the fine, although it believed that the DOT lacks jurisdiction over incidents which occurred outside the United States. Lufthansa also stated that it disagreed with the DOT’s conclusions.

Lufthansa told The Epoch Times by email that it has fully cooperated with the DOT throughout the review process of the 2022 incident.

The airline said that it has partnered with American Jewish Committee to create a training program for its managers and employees to address anti-Semitism and discrimination, which it described as “a first of its kind” training in the airline industry.

“Lufthansa is dedicated to being an ambassador of goodwill, tolerance, diversity, and acceptance,” the airline said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times on Oct. 16.

“Furthermore, we will continue to provide excellence in service to our valued customers and remain a reliable partner globally,” it added.