The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has imposed a $4 million penalty on national carrier Lufthansa for a civil rights violation. the significant fine was imposed for discrimination against Jewish passengers traveling from New York City to Budapest in May 2022. This becomes the largest fine ever imposed by the DOT on an airline for civil rights violations.
The investigation centered on a scheduled flight from New York JFK to Budapest (BUD) via Frankfurt in May 2022. According to the DOT, Lufthansa denied 128 Jewish passengers, most of whom wore traditional Orthodox Jewish attire, boarding their connecting flight in Frankfurt, Germany.
The airline justified this action based on the alleged misconduct of a few passengers on the previous flight. However, the DOT’s investigation found that Lufthansa had collectively treated all Jewish passengers as a single group, regardless of individual behavior.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated, No one should face discrimination while traveling. This action sends a clear message to the airline industry that we will not tolerate civil rights violations.
The DOT received over 40 discrimination complaints from Jewish passengers who were scheduled to fly from New york City to Budapest with a stop in Frankfurt. The investigation revealed that Lufthansa prohibited 128 Jewish passengers from completing their journey based on the alleged misconduct of a few passengers on the first flight.
The review found that Lufthansa failed to identify any specific individual who had violated crew instruction. Despite this, the airline placed a hold on over 100 passengers’ tickets, preventing them from boarding their connecting flight.
Lufthansa acknowledged that its decision to refuse transportation to the entire group could result in the exclusion of compliant passengers. However, the airline deemed it impractical to address each passenger individually.
The DOT’s investigation found that Lufthansa’s actions were discriminatory and violated federal law. The airline’s decision to deny boarding to all Jewish passengers was based solely on the alleged misconduct of a few.
As such, it represented a clear violation of their civil rights. The DOT’s penalty is the largest ever imposed on an airline for civil rights violations.
The incident sparked outrage among Jewish communities and civil rights advocates. Many criticized Lufthansa for its discriminatory actions and called for the airline to take steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Lufthansa has issued a statement apologizing for the incident and announcing its commitment to further investigate the matter. However, the DOT’s penalty sends a clear message that it will not tolerate such discrimination.
The DOT’s action is a significant step in the fight against discrimination in the airline industry. It signals that the government is committed to protecting the rights of all passengers, regardless of their religion, race, or ethnicity.
