US regulator fines German airline for alleged discrimination against Jewish passengers

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a $4 million fine against Lufthansa on Tuesday, accusing the Germany-based carrier of discrimination for prohibiting more than 100 Jewish passengers from boarding a flight more than two years ago.

According to the consent order from DOT, the incident stems back to May 2022 when Lufthansa blocked 128 Jewish passengers from boarding a connecting flight in Germany, after “misconduct from some passengers” on the original flight, which departed from New York. 

The original flight had 131 passengers who were all on their way to Budapest, Hungary, for an annual memorial event honoring an Orthodox rabbi, and most of them “wore distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men,” according to the DOT.

The agency said it received over 40 complaints from Jewish passengers involved in the incident and that despite their common destination, most of the passengers did not know each other. 

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The DOT said it determined Lufthansa discriminated against the passengers because the airline “treated them all as if they were a single group and denied them boarding for the alleged misbehavior of a few.”

Passengers stand in line after an IT fault at Germany’s Lufthansa causes massive flight delays and disruptions in Frankfurt, Germany, February 15, 2023. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters Photos)

DOT said the $4 million penalty is the largest it has ever levied against a carrier for civil rights violations. 

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“No one should face discrimination when they travel, 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,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement announcing the decision.

Pete Buttigieg, US transportation secretary, speaks during a news conference ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023.  (Taylor Glascock/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Lufthansa said in a statement to FOX Business that it has cooperated fully with the DOT’s review process, and that “We remain focused on the many efforts which have been initiated including, partnering with American Jewish Committee (AJC), a highly respected and globally recognized advocacy organization and thought leader.”

“Through our ongoing collaboration, we have curated a first-of-its kind training program in the airline industry for our managers and employees to address antisemitism and discrimination,” the statement said, adding, “As the first airline to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, Lufthansa will continue to foster a thoughtful dialogue with Jewish communities and organizations around the world.”

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The DOT’s consent order stated that the airline says it “regrets and has publicly apologized on numerous occasions for the circumstances surrounding the decision to deny boarding to the affected passengers” in the incident, but “denies any suggestion that any of its employees engaged in any form of discrimination.”

Lufthansa also stated in its response to the DOT that it “has zero tolerance for any form of religious or ethnic-based discrimination, including antisemitism.”