Incident Overview
The fined $4 million for allegedly discriminating against 128 Jewish passengers, mostly in Orthodox attire, barring them from a connecting flight in in May 2022.
The discrimination was based on alleged infractions of the airline's mask policy by some passengers, leading to a collective punishment. Lufthansa staff reportedly singled out passengers as "Jewish coming from ".
Responses and Reforms
Lufthansa, while denying discrimination, agreed to the settlement to avoid litigation, emphasizing its commitment to combating antisemitism and discrimination through a training program in collaboration with the .
The incident sparked widespread criticism, including from U.S. Transportation Secretary and Ambassador , highlighting the importance of non-discrimination in travel and the irony of such an incident involving the German national airline.