Lufthansa fined for 'discriminating' against 128 Jewish passengers

The Department of Transportation imposed a record $4-million fine on Lufthansa for impeding 128 Jewish passengers from boarding a flight on May 3, 2022. The German airline said it made the decision due to the "misconduct" of not respecting the mask regulations.

The agency reported that Lufthansa "discriminated" against those affected, who were traveling from New York to Budapest, Hungary, making a stopover in Frankfurt, Germany.

"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," said Pete Buttigieg, secretary of transportation.

Passengers themselves, after being consulted by Department of Transportation officials, said airline workers thought they were going in a group, when many did not know each other, leading them to interpret it as a protest of the regulation. The pilot of the plane gave them a warning and asked security forces to remove these 128 Jewish passengers from the plane.

Lufthansa, in statements picked up by AFP, apologized to those affected while defending its employees, saying that at no time did they engage in discriminatory acts against Jews.