The U.S. Department of Transportation has imposed a record fine on a German airline for discriminating against Jewish passengers. According to Reuters on the 15th of the month, the department fined Lufthansa, a German airline, $4 million (approximately 5.5 billion won) for allegedly discriminating against Jewish passengers who were attempting to board a connecting flight in Frankfurt in May 2022.
The U.S. Department of Transportation stated that Lufthansa prohibited boarding for 128 passengers who were wearing clothing typical of Orthodox Jewish men, citing the behavior of a few passengers as the reason for the discriminatory action.
Most of the passengers who were interviewed by the investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation denied knowing each other or traveling together. Lufthansa claimed that they were only acting in response to the misconduct of a few passengers, but nearly all passengers were denied boarding as a result.
The airline claimed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, some passengers did not follow instructions to wear face masks and to avoid gathering near aisles or emergency exits. The flight attendants were unable to identify those who did not comply with the instructions due to the similar dress code among the passengers.
As a result, the captain of the connecting flight informed security personnel about the misconduct of passengers, leading to the passengers being denied boarding on the connecting flight.
In response to criticism for discriminating against Jews, Lufthansa issued an apology statement, stating that they regretted the action of refusing boarding to a large group of passengers rather than limiting it to non-compliant individuals. The airline emphasized that they do not tolerate any form of racial discrimination, anti-semitism, or any other type of discrimination.
Following the incident in 2022, Lufthansa reached an agreement with most passengers to pay a settlement of $2 million as compensation. The airline also stated that they have been fully cooperating with the U.S. Department of Transportation and have been working with the Anti-Defamation League to plan the aviation industry’s first education program for managers and employees to address anti-semitism and discrimination issues.
During the investigation, Lufthansa denied that their employees discriminated against passengers and attributed the unfortunate series of events to inaccurate communication, misunderstandings, and misjudgments in the decision-making process.
The U.S. Department of Transportation highlighted that this fine is the largest fine imposed on an airline for civil rights violations. Transportation Secretary Peter Buttigieg stated, “No one should face discrimination while traveling, 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.”