The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday (October 15) that it has fined German airline Lufthansa $4 million for allegedly discriminating against Jewish passengers in May 2022.
According to the Congressional Hill report, this is the largest fine the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has imposed on an airline for violating civil rights.
The investigation revealed that Lufthansa allegedly prevented 128 Jewish passengers from boarding connecting flights in Germany, who were traveling from New York City through Frankfurt to Budapest.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated, “No one should face discrimination while traveling, and today’s action sends a clear message to the airline industry that when passengers’ civil rights are violated, we will investigate and take action.”
The Department of Transportation said it had received over 40 discrimination complaints from Jewish passengers on flights in May 2022.
The investigation found that these passengers were prohibited from boarding the flight to Budapest due to alleged “misconduct” on the first leg of the journey, resulting in over 100 passengers having their tickets withheld and unable to reach their final destination.
Almost all of these passengers were dressed in traditional Orthodox Jewish male attire. Despite many passengers not knowing each other or traveling together, those interviewed by the Department of Transportation investigators said Lufthansa treated them as a collective group, refusing boarding to everyone due to the actions of a few.
The Department of Transportation stated that while the captain had informed security personnel of passengers not following instructions, Lufthansa failed to identify any specific passengers not complying with instructions.
According to Reuters, Lufthansa has agreed to pay the $4 million fine, with the Department of Transportation providing the airline with $2 million in compensation.
In the consent decree, Lufthansa denied any wrongdoing and discriminatory behavior towards passengers. The airline expressed regret for the situation resulting from the decision to deny boarding to passengers and has publicly apologized multiple times, attributing the incident to “a series of unfortunate miscommunications, misunderstandings, and judgment errors throughout the decision-making process.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Lufthansa pointed out that since the events of 2022, the company has fully cooperated with the Department of Transportation’s investigation and focused on various efforts, including partnering with the American Jewish Committee to introduce an “industry-first training program” aimed at assisting managers and staff in addressing anti-Semitism and discrimination issues.