Lufthansa Fined $4 Million for Discriminating Against Jewish Passengers

The U.S. Department of Transportation issued its largest-ever civil rights fine against the airline for a 2022 incident involving 128 Jewish travelers.

• The fine stems from a May 2022 incident where 128 Jewish passengers were denied boarding on a connecting flight in Frankfurt after some allegedly violated mask rules.
• Lufthansa was accused of treating the passengers as a single group based on their Orthodox Jewish appearance, despite many not knowing each other.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation received over 40 discrimination complaints and found no evidence of individual misconduct by passengers.
• Lufthansa has since partnered with the American Jewish Committee to develop training programs to address antisemitism and discrimination.
• The airline has publicly apologized for the incident, attributing it to miscommunications and misjudgments rather than intentional discrimination.

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