The U.S. government fined Lufthansa a record $4 million after the airline stopped Jewish passengers from boarding a flight in 2022 because some reportedly didn’t wear face masks.
According to BBC, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said Lufthansa treated the Jewish passengers unfairly by assuming they were all one group, even though many didn’t know each other and were not traveling together.
This $4 million penalty is the largest ever given to an airline for civil rights violations, as BBC explained. Lufthansa agreed to pay the fine to avoid a legal battle but denied discriminating against anyone.
The airline blamed the situation on poor communication and said it remains focused on improving staff training, adding that it promotes values like tolerance and diversity.
The incident happened in May 2022, when Jewish passengers, many dressed in traditional Orthodox clothing, were traveling from New York to Budapest with a stop in Frankfurt.
BBC reported that during the first flight, the crew told security that some passengers weren’t following the rules, including wearing masks and staying out of the aisles.
In response, Lufthansa blocked over 100 Jewish passengers from catching their connecting flight, even though some had followed the rules.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, according to BBC, that this fine sends a message to airlines that no one should face discrimination when traveling.
The DOT added that the passengers who were blocked said they didn’t see anyone breaking the rules, and Lufthansa couldn’t identify specific individuals at fault.
But Lufthansa argued that there were so many rule violations that it became impossible to pinpoint the passengers responsible, especially since some changed seats.
The DOT ordered Lufthansa to pay $2 million, while the other $2 million was credited because the airline had already compensated passengers in a previous legal settlement, as noted by BBC.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3dv3l5pvy3o