WASHINGTON DC, USA — The U.S. Department of Transportation, DOT, has imposed a record $4 million fine on Lufthansa after the airline barred over 100 Jewish passengers from boarding a connecting flight in 2022.
The department found that the passengers had been unfairly treated as a group due to their shared religious background, marking the largest civil rights penalty ever levied against an airline.
The incident occurred in May 2022 when passengers travelling from New York to Budapest via Frankfurt were denied boarding on their connecting flight.
According to the DOT investigation, the passengers—many of whom were Orthodox Jewish men identifiable by their traditional attire—had been collectively penalised after some individuals allegedly refused to comply with onboard rules requiring face masks and prohibiting congregating in aisles.
While some passengers did not follow the mask mandate on the first leg of the journey, the DOT found that Lufthansa had treated all the Jewish passengers as if they were a single group, regardless of whether they had complied with the rules or even knew one another.
The blanket action taken by the airline, the department said, constituted discrimination.
“No one should face discrimination when they travel,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
“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.”
Lufthansa Denies Discrimination
Lufthansa agreed to pay the $4 million fine in a consent order but denied any discriminatory intent.
The airline blamed the incident on “an unfortunate series of inaccurate communications” and emphasised its commitment to promoting tolerance and diversity.
“Lufthansa is dedicated to being an ambassador of goodwill, tolerance, diversity, and acceptance,” the company said, adding that it had cooperated with the investigation and had rebooked most of the affected passengers on alternative flights the same day.
The DOT said passengers interviewed for the investigation reported that they had not witnessed widespread misconduct on the flight, and Lufthansa was unable to identify any specific passengers who had broken the rules.
Despite this, the airline blocked all Jewish passengers from boarding the connecting flight, citing logistical challenges in addressing the issue individually.
Record Penalty and Civil Rights Implications
Of the $4 million fine, Lufthansa is required to pay $2 million directly to the U.S. government.
The airline will receive credit for the remaining $2 million, which it has already paid to affected passengers as part of a legal settlement.
The fine is a clear signal from U.S. authorities about the seriousness of civil rights violations in the airline industry.
The DOT concluded that Lufthansa’s actions were not only discriminatory but also unjustly penalized compliant passengers for the actions of others.
The agency said the penalty reflects its commitment to protecting travellers from unfair treatment based on race, religion, or other protected characteristics.
For Lufthansa, this settlement marks the end of the legal battle but also raises questions about its internal policies and practices related to passenger handling.
The airline has since implemented additional staff training to prevent similar incidents in the future.
As the aviation industry grapples with evolving challenges in customer service and civil rights compliance, this case is a warning to airlines about the potential consequences of failing to address passengers as individuals and ensuring equal treatment for all travellers.
