The U.S. Fines German Lufthansa for Discrimination Against Jewish Passengers

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday, October 16, that it has fined the German airline Lufthansa $4 million for discriminating against a number of Jewish passengers. The department stated in its announcement that in May 2022, Lufthansa prevented 128 male Jewish passengers, who were wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish clothing, from boarding a flight. They were on a layover in Frankfurt, Germany, on their way from New York in the eastern United States to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, to continue the second leg of their journey with another plane. Although the passengers did not know each other and it was not a group trip, due to the inappropriate behavior of a few of them, Lufthansa officials barred all Jewish passengers from boarding the plane. The U.S. Department of Transportation received over forty complaints from passengers on that flight. The department noted that this is the largest fine issued by it against an airline related to 'civil rights violations.' U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized in the announcement that 'no one should face discrimination while traveling, and today's action sends a clear message to the airline industry.'