The fine "sends a clear message to the industry: we stand ready to investigate and take action whenever passengers' civil rights are violated", said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

It is jarring to know that just hours after the 81st anniversary of the roundup of Jews in Rome, back on October 16, 1943 (after which only 16 of the more than 1,200 people deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau escaped death), the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced a $4 million fine against Lufthansa for discriminating against Jewish passengers traveling on flight LH 401 from New York City via Frankfurt to Budapest, in May 2022.

The DOT statement reads: "Based on the alleged misconduct of some passengers, Lufthansa barred 128 Jewish passengers, most of whom were wearing distinctive clothing typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men, from boarding their connecting flight to Germany. Although many of the passengers did not know each other or travel together, those interviewed by the Department's investigators said the airline treated them as one group and denied them boarding because of the alleged misconduct of a few. Today's fine is the largest DOT fine ever issued against an airline for civil rights violations".

“No one should be discriminated against when they travel, and today’s action sends a clear message to the industry: we stand ready to investigate and take action whenever passengers’ civil rights are violated", said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “From cracking down on lengthy tarmac delays to ensuring passengers are adequately compensated, our department has strengthened its commitment to protecting air passengers so they get the fair and respectful treatment they deserve".

The Department had received more than 40 complaints of racial discrimination from Jewish passengers who were ticketed to fly that day from New York's-"John F. Kennedy Airport", via Frankfurt, Germany, with final destination Budapest, Hungary. The Department's investigation into the complaints concluded that "Lufthansa prevented 128 Jewish passengers from completing their journey to Budapest based on the alleged misconduct of some or a few passengers on the first leg of the flight. During this leg, the captain advised Lufthansa security that some passengers were not following the crew's instructions and were taking another flight to Budapest. Lufthansa was also unable to identify the passengers who had not followed the crew's instructions" the statement continued.

The DOT concluded: "The airline's security alert resulted in the blocking of tickets for more than 100 passengers with final destination Budapest, which prevented them from boarding the next leg after the Frankfurt stop. All passengers whose tickets were blocked were Jewish. The names of the individuals responsible for misbehavior were not disclosed; Lufthansa staff, while recognizing that refusal to transport the entire group could also involve passengers who had complied with the on-board rules, concluded that it would not be practical to conduct an individual investigation of each passenger". In essence, the Department found that many unfairly paid for the behavior of a few that day...