An airline has been hit with a record fine after barring Jewish passengers from one of their flights.
German airline Lufthansa has been hit with a $4m (£3m) fine for a flight in 2022 which refused to let Jewish passengers fly who were refusing to follow rules concerning face masks.
The American Department of Transportation (DOT) said that the airline had discriminated against the passengers by treating them “as if they were all a single group”, despite many passengers not knowing each other or travelling together.
Largest penalty ever
The incident concerned 100 passengers who were all Jewish.
The government department said that it was the largest penalty it had ever issued against an airline for civil rights violations.
Lufthansa has agreed to pay the fine to avoid legal action, although deny discrimination as they blamed the incident on a series of unfortunate and inaccurate communications.
The airline said in a statement that “Lufthansa is dedicated to being an ambassador of goodwill, tolerance, diversity, and acceptance,” adding that it had cooperated with the investigation and remained focused on training for its staff.
The incident concerned passengers who were travelling from New York to Budapest, with a transfer in Frankfurt, in May 2022.
The DOT said that the passengers were mostly male and were wearing “distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men” as well as used the same handful of travel agencies to book their flights.
The captain had alerted Lufthansa security during the first flight that some passengers had violated crew instructions that required passengers to wear masks while also not blocking aisles and gathering in other places on board.
This alert led to 100 passengers being blocked from their connecting flight, all of them Jewish.
“Address each passenger individually”
The DOT said that the airline recognised that by doing this people who complied would be hurt, but “concluded it was not practical to address each passenger individually”.
Most of those barred were rebooked on other flights the same day.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said: “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.”
Passengers interviews by the DOT said that they had seen any evidence of misbehaviour while Lufthansa failed to identify any passengers who had not followed the rules.
The airline said that this was due to “the infractions were so numerous, the misconduct continued for substantial portions of the flight and at different intervals and the passengers changed seats during the flight”.
The airline is being required to pay $2m (£1.5m) in fines and would give the airline credit for $2m already paid out in a legal settlement to passengers.
Fine
Lufthansa commented on the matter and said: “The longstanding mission of the Lufthansa Group is to connect people, cultures, and economies in a sustainable way.
“Following the May 2022 incident involving our Jewish passengers, Lufthansa has fully cooperated with the DOT throughout its review process. 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.
“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.”
Related: James O’Brien moved to tears over Israeli air strike on Gaza hospital