German politicians love to make a show of supporting the state of Israel, but the national carrier's willingness to accomodate orthodox Jews is another matter. Lufthansa must pay a record $4m fine after turning away a large group of passengers from a 2022 flight in Frankfurt.
The U.S. Transportation Department said Tuesday that the fine is the largest the agency has issued against an airline for civil-rights violations … The department said most of the 128 passengers who were denied boarding "wore distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men." Although many did not know each other and were not traveling together, they told investigators that Lufthansa treated them as if they were a group and denied boarding to all over alleged misbehaviour by a few passengers.
European airlines are experts at managing hundreds of shiftaced English louts playing musical chairs at 10,000 feet, the Hasids are darlings by comparison. Another odd example of bad behavior from Lufthansa; any reputation it has for making the planes arrive on time is, of course, not even true.
