German airline penalized for 'discriminating' against Jews
The US Department of Transportation has imposed a historic $4 million penalty on Lufthansa for refusing to allow 128 Orthodox Jewish men to board. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Lufthansa faced significant backlash after the US Department of Transportation announced a $4 million penalty against the airline for allegedly discriminating against a group of Jewish passengers.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the DOT indicated that in May 2022, the airline denied boarding to 128 Jewish travelers, a majority of whom were dressed in traditional Orthodox Jewish attire, as they attempted to catch their connecting flight in Germany.
The investigation was prompted by more than 40 complaints from Jewish passengers who had booked flights from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to Budapest, Hungary, with a layover in Frankfurt, Germany. The inquiry found that Lufthansa barred the entire group from continuing their journey based on the alleged misbehavior of a few individuals. Reports suggested that some passengers were accused of not adhering to the airline's face mask policies.
The department remarked that Lufthansa staff “treated them all as if they were a single group and denied them boarding,” despite many passengers not knowing one another or traveling together.
Local media in Germany noted that passengers identifiable as Jewish, such as those wearing skull caps or sporting sidelocks, were excluded. Video footage from the incident reportedly captured Lufthansa staff informing attendees that “everyone has to pay” for the mistakes of a few.
The fine imposed on Lufthansa is reportedly the highest ever assessed by the DOT for discrimination offenses.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented on the situation, stating, “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.”
Following the incident, Lufthansa stated that it had fully cooperated with the DOT during the investigation process. At the time, the airline issued an apology, asserting its “zero tolerance for racism, antisemitism and discrimination of any type." The airline later announced that it had reached a settlement with most of the Jewish passengers who were barred from the flight.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a statement released on Tuesday, the DOT indicated that in May 2022, the airline denied boarding to 128 Jewish travelers, a majority of whom were dressed in traditional Orthodox Jewish attire, as they attempted to catch their connecting flight in Germany.
The investigation was prompted by more than 40 complaints from Jewish passengers who had booked flights from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to Budapest, Hungary, with a layover in Frankfurt, Germany. The inquiry found that Lufthansa barred the entire group from continuing their journey based on the alleged misbehavior of a few individuals. Reports suggested that some passengers were accused of not adhering to the airline's face mask policies.
The department remarked that Lufthansa staff “treated them all as if they were a single group and denied them boarding,” despite many passengers not knowing one another or traveling together.
Local media in Germany noted that passengers identifiable as Jewish, such as those wearing skull caps or sporting sidelocks, were excluded. Video footage from the incident reportedly captured Lufthansa staff informing attendees that “everyone has to pay” for the mistakes of a few.
The fine imposed on Lufthansa is reportedly the highest ever assessed by the DOT for discrimination offenses.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented on the situation, stating, “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.”
Following the incident, Lufthansa stated that it had fully cooperated with the DOT during the investigation process. At the time, the airline issued an apology, asserting its “zero tolerance for racism, antisemitism and discrimination of any type." The airline later announced that it had reached a settlement with most of the Jewish passengers who were barred from the flight.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
