Lufthansa apologizes after Jews denied boarding
Germany’s main airline, Lufthansa, issued a public apology on Tuesday after dozens of passengers, whose appearance clearly showed them to be Jewish, were not allowed to board a flight in Frankfurt last Wednesday because some of them allegedly did not comply with COVID-19 mask rules.
“Lufthansa regrets the circumstances surrounding the decision to exclude affected passengers from the flight, for which Lufthansa sincerely apologizes,” said the statement. “While Lufthansa is still reviewing the facts and circumstances of that day, we regret that the large group was denied boarding rather than limiting it to the non-compliant guests.”
According to the DansDeals travel blog, which first broke the story, some passengers on a flight from New York to Frankfurt had not complied with COVID-19 masking mandates, including some of the identifiably Jewish passengers traveling to visit the tomb of Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner of Kerestir in Hungary. Jewish passengers had also reportedly irritated the flight crew by praying in the plane’s aisles.
“We confirm that a larger group of passengers could not be carried yesterday on Lufthansa flight LH1334 from Frankfurt to Budapest because the travelers refused to wear the legally mandated mask (medical mask) on board,” Lufthansa told DansDeals.
After the flight from New York had landed in Frankfurt, the Jewish passengers waited to board their connecting flight. However they were allegedly singled out and denied boarding. Lufthansa reportedly identified many of the Jewish passengers as part of a large travel group.
“I’m not with the group,” one Jewish traveler said in a video of the incident. “Is this a Lufthansa decision that all Jewish people that were on the flight can’t get on any flight today – because this is 2022 and this is a Western country and this has to go up to upper management.”
A Lufthansa representative explained to the Jewish passenger that everyone had to pay for the action of the other passengers. Non-Jewish passengers reportedly faced no such denial to board, despite allegedly also flouting masking requirements.
“Jewish people who were the mess, they made the problems,” said the representative.
“So Jewish people on the plane made a problem, so all Jews are banned from Lufthansa
for the day?” The passenger asked for clarification.
“Just for this flight,” The representative responded.
The Lufthansa denial of boarding was enforced by German police, who met the passengers at the gate. DansDeals shared a video in which irate passengers called officers “Nazis,” angering the police.
“Someone who happens to be Jewish violates a mask mandate and Lufthansa bans all visibly Jewish people on board?” The Anti-Defamation League said in response to the incident on Tuesday. “Blaming Jews as a group for the alleged actions of a few is clearly antisemitism.”
“We apologize to all the passengers unable to travel on this flight, not only for the inconvenience, but also for the offense caused, and personal impact,” Lufthansa said in their statement on Tuesday.