US fines Lufthansa $4m over alleged discrimination against Orthodox Jewish passengers

The United States Department of Transportation has levied a $4 million fine against German airline Lufthansa, citing civil rights violations in the treatment of Orthodox Jewish passengers during a 2022 flight.

This penalty stands as the largest of its kind ever imposed by the agency, underscoring the gravity of the alleged misconduct.

The controversy stems from an incident involving 128 passengers who were denied boarding on a connecting flight in Frankfurt, after arriving from New York.

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These passengers, many of whom “wore distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men,” were en route to Budapest to participate in an annual memorial event honoring an Orthodox rabbi. Although the group included individuals who did not know each other and were not traveling together, they reported feeling collectively penalized for the alleged misbehavior of a few.

On the initial flight from New York, flight attendants reportedly reminded passengers of the necessity to wear face masks and avoid congregating in aisles or near emergency exits. However, according to the consent order, no specific individuals were identified as failing to comply with these instructions. Lufthansa attributed this inability to identify offenders to the high volume of violations and frequent seat exchanges among passengers.

The situation escalated when the flight’s captain reported the alleged misconduct to Lufthansa security, triggering a series of actions that resulted in the passengers being barred from the connecting flight.

Lufthansa has refuted the U.S. Department of Transportation’s allegations of discrimination, maintaining that no bias motivated their employees’ actions. However, the airline conceded to “errors in company procedure and communications” during the incident.

In recognition of compensatory measures provided to the affected passengers, the fine was reduced to $2 million, reflecting the airline’s partial efforts to address the fallout.