WASHINGTON- The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has imposed a $4 million penalty on Lufthansa (LH) for discriminating against Jewish passengers in May 2022.
This fine, the largest ever issued by DOT for civil rights violations, stems from an incident where Lufthansa denied boarding to 128 Jewish passengers from boarding a connecting flight LH1334 from Frankfurt (FRA) to Budapest (BUD), Hungary.
Lufthansa Fined $4M by US DOT
DOT’s investigation revealed that Lufthansa denied boarding to these passengers, many of whom wore traditional Orthodox Jewish attire, based on the alleged misconduct of a few individuals on the previous flight from New York City.
Passengers reported being treated as a single group despite not knowing each other or traveling together.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the DOT’s commitment to protecting passengers’ rights, stating, “We are prepared to investigate and take action whenever passengers’ civil rights are violated.”
Buttigieg highlighted the department’s efforts to hold airlines accountable for passenger treatment, including addressing issues like long tarmac delays and ensuring proper refunds.
The incident prompted over 40 discrimination complaints from affected Jewish passengers. These travelers were scheduled to fly as LH401 from John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) in New York to Budapest via Frankfurt in May 2022.
DOT’s investigation concluded that Lufthansa’s decision to prohibit the 128 passengers from continuing their journey was based on the alleged misbehavior of a few individuals on the initial flight.
During the first leg of the journey, the captain alerted Lufthansa security about passengers allegedly failing to follow crew instructions. However, the airline later failed to identify any specific individuals who had disobeyed crew members.
Lufthansa’s security alert resulted in a hold on over 100 Jewish passengers’ tickets to Budapest, preventing them from boarding their connecting flight in Frankfurt.
Lufthansa staff acknowledged the blanket refusal could exclude compliant passengers but deemed individual assessments impractical. The airline failed to identify specific noncompliant individuals, yet barred all Jewish passengers from continuing their journey.
DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection vows to continue enforcing anti-discrimination measures in air travel vigorously. This case marks the largest civil rights violation penalty ever imposed by the DOT on an airline.
US DOT Measures
The Biden-Harris Administration has significantly enhanced airline industry oversight since 2021.
DOT has expanded its complaint review capacity by partnering with state attorneys general, granting them access to a new complaint system.
Consumer protection efforts have yielded nearly $4 billion in refunds and reimbursements to airline passengers, including over $600 million related to the 2022 Southwest Airlines (WN) holiday disruption.
DOT has issued over $170 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations since President Biden took office, compared to just over $70 million collectively imposed between 1996 and 2020.
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