{"id":119242,"date":"2025-10-31T23:48:34","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T18:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=119242"},"modified":"2025-10-31T23:48:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T18:18:35","slug":"lufthansa-accused-of-exposing-gay-couple-to-saudi-authorities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/31\/lufthansa-accused-of-exposing-gay-couple-to-saudi-authorities\/","title":{"rendered":"Lufthansa Accused of Exposing Gay Couple to Saudi Authorities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COLOGNE-<\/strong> Lufthansa (LH)<\/a> faces a revived lawsuit from a gay couple who accuse the airline of disclosing their marriage to Saudi Arabian authorities during a 2021 check-in at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incident allegedly led to severe personal and legal consequences for the Saudi citizen in the couple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States citizen and Saudi Arabian citizen, married in San Francisco (SFO)<\/a> since 2013, had maintained a discreet 33 year relationship to avoid risks in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Ninth Circuit ruling on October 30, 2025, reversed a lower court’s dismissal, allowing the case to proceed in California federal court due to Lufthansa’s business ties there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lufthansa
Photo: By Aero Icarus from Z\u00fcrich, Switzerland – Lufthansa Airbus A380-841; D-AIMC@FRA;06.07.2011\/603bi, CC BY-SA 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=26715895<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lufthansa Gay Couple Lawsuit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The couple selected Lufthansa (LH) for their May 2021 flight from Riyadh (RUH) to San Francisco (SFO), expecting privacy in handling US entry requirements amid pandemic travel bans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These rules required proof of immediate family ties for non-US citizens from high-risk countries like Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the airport counter, the Saudi citizen faced questions about his relationship to the U.S. citizen. The couple requested a private discussion with the deputy station manager. In a secluded area, they presented their California marriage certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The manager reacted with audible disbelief, shouting that he could not accept their marriage as valid. He continued to question and demean them publicly, drawing unwanted attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lufthansa staff then escorted the couple to an office to scan passports and the marriage certificate for transmission to headquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The couple voiced fears of interception by Saudi authorities, given the country’s stance on same-sex relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deputy manager dismissed these concerns and refused their request to involve the station manager. Despite the ordeal, the couple boarded the flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication breakdowns followed. Lufthansa promised a follow-up but failed to contact them, leaving the couple anxious about potential fallout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"First
Photo: Lufthansa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Marital Status Change Sparks Alarm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One month later, the Saudi citizen checked his government profile and found his status updated from “single” to “married.” The couple alleges no other source could have revealed this information except Lufthansa’s handling of their documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saudi law criminalizes same-sex acts, with penalties including imprisonment, flogging, or execution, though enforcement varies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This discovery forced the Saudi citizen into permanent exile. He relocated to the US on a visa, later securing a Green Card, but has not returned to Saudi Arabia since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The separation cut him off from his family, who remain unaware of his relationship. The couple also sold Saudi real estate at a $300,000<\/strong> loss to sever ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stress allegedly triggered pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease, in the Saudi citizen. Medical records link the condition to acute emotional trauma from the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Representative Photo: Lufthansa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n