By outdoor-nature-child.com In May 2022, Lufthansa, the German airline, faced allegations of discrimination after they barred 128 Jewish-American passengers dressed in traditional Orthodox attire from transferring to Budapest. This incident led the U.S. Department of Transportation to impose a record $4 million fine on the airline.
According to the Transportation Department, these passengers, who were scheduled to travel to Budapest, were denied boarding while they attempted to transfer in Germany. Many in the group were strangers to one another and were not traveling together. However, Lufthansa employees reportedly treated them as a single group based on the alleged misconduct of a few individuals, which resulted in the boarding denial.
The misconduct referenced includes failing to comply with Lufthansa’s mask mandate. Video footage from the incident shows staff informing the passengers that due to the actions of a small number of individuals, all Jewish travelers from JFK Airport would have to “pay the price.” German media reported that Lufthansa staff determined passengers were Jewish based on their traditional attire, including kippahs and payot, and subsequently denied them boarding for the connecting flight to Hungary.
The $4 million fine is the largest ever imposed by the Transportation Department against an airline for violating civil rights.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated, “No one should face discrimination while traveling. Today’s action sends a clear message to airlines: we will thoroughly investigate and take action whenever a passenger’s civil rights are violated.”
Deborah Lipstadt, the Biden administration’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, expressed her disbelief when she first learned of the incident during an NBC interview in 2022. “When I first heard about it, I thought, ‘This must be a mistake, it can’t be true.’ Of course, it turned out to be worse than we imagined.”
On the 15th of October, Lufthansa announced its full cooperation with the Transportation Department’s investigation. They emphasized their commitment to working with the American Jewish Committee to address these issues. The airline also stated that they have initiated unprecedented training sessions within the aviation industry to educate managers and staff on how to handle antisemitism and discrimination.
Following the incident, Lufthansa issued an apology, affirming that they do not tolerate any form of racism, antisemitism, or discriminatory behavior.