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

Lufthansa has been fined $4 million for allegedly discriminating against Jewish passengers after the German airline in 2022 refused to let 128 travelers board a flight, the U.S. government announced on Tuesday.

The carrier at the time apologized for the incident in which a large group of travelers — most wearing distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men — were blocked from getting on a connecting flight in Frankfurt, Germany. 

Calling it inconsistent with its policies and values, Lufthansa said it had zero tolerance for "racism, anti-semitism and discrimination of any type."

On May 3, 2022, 131 passengers began a journey from New York City to Budapest to attend an annual memorial event for an Orthodox rabbi. Based on "the misconduct of some passengers" on the initial leg to Frankfort, 128 passengers were prevented from continuing on to Budapest, according to a consent order issued by the Transportation Department.

Despite many of the passengers not knowing one another and not traveling together, Lufthansa treated the men as a single group and prevented all of them from boarding for the alleged misbehavior of a few, the U.S. Department of Transportation said. 

"No one should face discrimination when they travel, and 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," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated in the announcement.

The penalty is the largest ever issued by the agency against an airline for civil rights violations. 

Lufthansa said it is taking steps to prevent such incidents. The airline has "curated a first-of-its kind training program in the airline industry for our managers and employees to address antisemitism and discrimination," Lufthansa said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. 

"As the first airline to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, Lufthansa will continue to foster a thoughtful dialogue with Jewish communities and organizations around the world," the carrier added.