Carsten Spohr, CEO of German airline Lufthansa, apologized for the antisemitic incident that took place on one the airline’s flights in a conversation with the Chief Rabbi of Berlin, Rabbi Yehudah Teichtal.
"Antisemitism has no place in Lufthansa," Spohr said. "What happened should not have happened. Our company represents a connection between people, cultures and nations. Openness and tolerance are the cornerstones and there is no room for antisemitism."
Rabbi Teichtal told the Lufthansa CEO, "If an employee wearing a Lufthansa uniform acts in an inappropriate manner - fears and accusations of antisemitism are completely legitimate. We should expect more sensitivity from a German corporation."
The rabbi added after the conversation, "I am glad that the CEO of Lufthansa responded so quickly, took a clear position and apologized."
Lufthansa sparked outrage when it banned all Jews from taking a flight on May 4, after it accused several Jewish passengers of not wearing masks during the previous leg of the flight, with an airline rep saying in a video, “It was Jewish people who made the mess, Jewish people made the problem.”
Lufthansa apologized this week for the incident.
“We apologize to all the travelers unable to travel on this flight, not only for the inconvenience, but also for the offense caused and personal impact,” the airline said in a statement. “What transpired is not consistent with Lufthansa’s policies or values.”
The incident caused a great uproar and the company has been doing some damage control. During the conversation between the company's CEO and Rabbi Teichtal, it was agreed that a meeting between the two would take place in the coming days, in which the issue will be discussed at length so that a similar incident does not recur in the future.