Lufthansa fined record $4 million for discriminating against Jewish passengers

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Lufthansa fined $4 million for blocking 128 Jewish passengers from boarding flight

Forbes

U.S. Fines Lufthansa Record $4 Million For Allegedly Discriminating Against Jewish Passengers

Lufthansa fined for violating 128 Jewish passengers’ civil rights

Lufthansa agrees to a record $4 million fine for its treatment of Jewish passengers

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has fined Lufthansa $4M for allegedly discriminating against Jewish passengers in May 2022. This marks the largest civil rights penalty ever issued against an airline.

It's alleged that Germany's flagship airline denied 128 Orthodox Jewish passengers boarding on a connecting flight from Frankfurt to Budapest, despite many not knowing each other or traveling together.

Lufthansa staff reportedly treated the Jewish passengers as a single group and prevented them from boarding due to the alleged misbehavior of a few individuals on the initial flight from New York.

The New York Times

Video evidence showed Lufthansa staff telling passengers that "everyone has to pay" for the mistakes of a few, wherein "everyone" was reportedly defined as "Jewish coming from JFK."

The Jerusalem Post

The DOT said it received over 40 discrimination complaints from Jewish passengers after the incident. Following an investigation, it concluded that Lufthansa had discriminated against the passengers based on religion.

Lufthansa has denied discrimination but has taken steps to address the issue, including adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism and partnering with the American Jewish Committee to create training programs.

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The incident involved 128 Orthodox Jewish passengers being denied boarding on a connecting flight from Frankfurt to Budapest, despite many not knowing each other or traveling together.

Lufthansa staff reportedly treated the Jewish passengers as a single group and prevented them from boarding due to alleged misbehavior of a few individuals on the initial flight from New York.

Video evidence showed Lufthansa staff stating that "everyone has to pay" for the mistakes of a few, defining "everyone" as "Jewish coming from JFK".

The DOT received over 40 discrimination complaints from Jewish passengers following the incident, prompting an investigation by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection.

Lufthansa has denied discrimination but has taken steps to address the issue, including adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism and partnering with the American Jewish Committee to create training programs.

The incident resulted from a series of miscommunications and misjudgments, not intentional discrimination. Lufthansa has fully cooperated with the DOT review process and taken proactive measures to improve its practices. The airline remains committed to being an ambassador of goodwill, tolerance, diversity, and acceptance.

Lufthansa Fined $4M for Alleged Jewish Passenger Discrimination

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Germany

Discrimination

Religion

The DOT's action sends a clear message that discrimination in air travel won't be tolerated. Lufthansa's treatment of Jewish passengers based on their appearance was a blatant violation of civil rights. The airline's subsequent efforts to address antisemitism and discrimination are necessary steps to prevent future incidents.

Al Jazeera

Lufthansa pays record $4m fine for barring Jewish passengers from flight

There's a 50% chance that at least 119K US Jews will move to Israel by 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Lufthansa Fined $4M For Denying Boarding to Jewish Passengers

Lufthansa Fined $4M forFor AllegedDenying Boarding to Jewish Passenger DiscriminationPassengers

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