Lufthansa fined record $4M for barring Jewish passengers

The Department of Transportation (DOT) of the United States of America has levied a record-breaking penalty of $4 million against Lufthansa. This comes after the airline denied Jewish customers access to a flight scheduled for 2022, alleging suspected violations of mask-wearing regulations. Despite the fact that many of the passengers were not travelling together or even acquainted with one another, the Department of Transportation (DOT) came to the conclusion that Lufthansa had discriminated against the passengers by treating them as a single group. In terms of civil rights violations, this punishment represents the most significant sanction that the agency has ever imposed on an airline.

As part of a consent agreement, Lufthansa agreed to pay the amount in order to avoid legal action. However, the airline denied having any discriminatory purpose and stated that the incident was caused by “an unfortunate series of erroneous communications.” An emphasis was placed by the airline on its dedication to fostering kindness, tolerance, diversity, and acceptance. Additionally, the airline stated that it had completely cooperated with the investigation and was concentrating on improving staff training initiatives.

It was in the month of May 2022 that the incident occurred on a flight that was travelling from New York to Budapest and had a connection in Frankfurt. A significant number of the passengers, the majority of whom were Jewish religious men dressed in traditional garb, had purchased their tickets through a few different travel firms.

According to the Department of Transportation, during the initial leg of the journey, the pilot informed Lufthansa security that certain passengers were not complying with mask rules and were gathering in aisles. As a result, more than one hundred Jewish passengers were prevented from boarding their connecting flight.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) criticized Lufthansa’s broad action, noting that it unfairly punished some passengers who had complied with the rules. While Lufthansa later admitted it was impractical to assess each passenger individually, the DOT found the airline had failed to provide evidence of specific misbehavior. Despite this, most of the affected passengers were rebooked on other flights the same day. The DOT’s findings emphasized the importance of addressing individual cases rather than applying blanket actions that could lead to unjust treatment of compliant travelers.

Today’s action sends a clear message to the airline industry that they are prepared to investigate and take action whenever passengers’ civil rights are violated. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasised the importance of protecting civil rights during travel, stating that no one should face discrimination when they travel. Today’s action also sends a clear message that they are prepared to take action.

Lufthansa, in its defense, said its staff struggled to pinpoint individual offenders, as numerous infractions occurred at different points during the flight, and passengers frequently changed seats. As part of the settlement, the DOT is requiring Lufthansa to pay $2 million of the fine, while the airline will receive credit for the remaining $2 million, which has already been paid to passengers through a separate legal settlement.