MUNICH – A Jewish passenger on Lufthansa flight LH1910 from Munich to Olbia says a flight attendant told him and other travellers that, with so many Jews on board, “they should be going to Auschwitz.” The passenger, posting on social media, called the remark “repulsive and offensive” and vowed never to fly the airline again. The allegation has not been independently verified beyond posts circulating online.
Lufthansa has not issued a public statement specifically addressing the Instagram allegation as of publication. The airline has faced high-profile accusations of discrimination in the past and agreed last year to a record U.S. fine over a 2022 incident in which visibly Jewish passengers were barred from a connecting flight. The episode prompted Lufthansa to institute anti-bias training and other measures.
The claimed remark on LH1910 comes amid a string of recent incidents that have alarmed Jewish communities. On August 4, passengers on an Iberia flight from Buenos Aires to Madrid reported receiving kosher meals with “Free Palestine” or the initials “FP” handwritten on the packaging. Argentina’s central Jewish group DAIA called the episode “a serious antisemitic incident,” and Iberia opened an internal probe and apologized to affected travellers.
Separately, an image circulating on social media shows a kosher meal on a U.S. carrier alleged to be labeled with the slur “Zionazi.” JetBlue told a travel outlet it had no formal complaint on record while saying it would review credible reports and take appropriate action. That case, like the Lufthansa allegation, remains publicly unconfirmed beyond social posts.
Jewish advocacy groups and community leaders said the pattern of incidents raises urgent questions about airline safeguards. They urged prompt, transparent investigations and stronger protections for Jewish travellers. The Anti-Defamation League and other organizations have been raising the alarm about a broader rise in antisemitic incidents globally since October 2023.
Industry experts say airline catering and in-flight service chains include multiple touchpoints where packaged meals and crew interactions can be compromised. They recommended that airlines audit catering vendors, review packaging controls for special-meal service, and reinforce staff training on discrimination, hate speech, and customer treatment.
For Jewish and Zionist travellers, these episodes are more than isolated affronts. They are part of a worrying trend that erodes safety and dignity for Jews in public spaces. Community leaders said that airlines must move quickly from apology to accountability so that passengers can fly without fear of harassment or hate.
Authorities and airlines can help by releasing findings from investigations and by imposing disciplinary measures where misconduct is established. Passengers with video, photos, or eyewitness accounts of the Lufthansa flight or the kosher meal incidents were urged to share them with the carriers and with community organizations documenting antisemitic incidents.
This article is based on verified information from Iberia, DAIA, and reporting by Times of Israel, El País, Arab News, social media posts documenting the Lufthansa allegation, and background reporting on Lufthansa’s prior penalties and anti-bias initiatives from Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera.