The airline barred 128 Jewish passengers, most of whom were dressed in traditional Orthodox Jewish attire, from boarding a flight in Germany due to purported misconduct by a few individuals, as stated by the Transportation Department.
Despite many passengers not knowing each other or traveling together, those interviewed by DOT investigators reported that Lufthansa treated them as a single group, denying boarding to all based on the actions of a few.
These passengers had arrived from New York and were attempting to connect to a flight to Budapest.
As part of the consent order, Lufthansa will pay $2 million, while the Department of Transportation will credit the airline with an additional $2 million it previously compensated to the affected passengers.
Lufthansa did not admit to any wrongdoing in the consent order and denied that its employees discriminated against the passengers, asserting that up to 60 individuals on board were not following crew instructions.
The airline expressed regret and has issued public apologies multiple times regarding the decision to deny boarding, as noted by the USDOT in the consent order.
Lufthansa explained that the incident stemmed from a regrettable series of miscommunications, misunderstandings, and errors in judgment during the decision-making process, according to the Transportation Department.
Lufthansa announced on Tuesday that it has been fully cooperating with the Department of Transportation (DOT) since the incident in 2022. The airline is committed to various initiatives, including a partnership with the American Jewish Committee to develop a pioneering training program aimed at addressing antisemitism and discrimination for its managers and employees.
The USDOT indicated that this penalty represents the largest fine it has ever imposed on an airline for civil rights infractions.
"Travelers should never encounter discrimination, and today’s decision clearly communicates to the airline industry our readiness to investigate and take action whenever passengers' civil rights are compromised," stated Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.