BARCELONA— French authorities are investigating whether passengers removed from a Vueling Airlines (VY) flight from Valencia Airport (VLC) to Paris Orly Airport (ORY) were discriminated against based on religion.
The incident occurred on July 24, when 52 French nationals, including 44 minors, were removed from Vueling flight VY8166. Vueling Airlines (VY) has denied any religious motivation, stating the decision was based solely on onboard behavior.
Photo: Clément AlloingVueling Jewish Passengers Removed
The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs confirmed that Minister Jean-Noël Barrot contacted Vueling CEO Carolina Martinoli to raise concerns over the incident
He specifically asked whether the removal of a group of young French Jews was related to their religious identity. In addition, France has also approached the Spanish ambassador for clarification.
In response, Vueling (VY) stated that an internal investigation is ongoing and promised transparency, with findings to be shared with both French and Spanish authorities.
The airline reiterated that the passengers were removed due to repeated safety violations and not for any discriminatory reason.
Photo: By Pedro Aragão – http://www.jetphotos.net/photo/8121433, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44983404Details of the Incident on Flight VY8166
According to statements from Vueling Airlines (VY) and Spain’s Civil Guard, the removed passengers—mostly minors—were allegedly disruptive before departure at Valencia Airport (VLC). Reports indicate that some minors tampered with emergency equipment and interrupted crew members during the safety demonstration.
The aircraft captain exercised authority to remove the passengers from the plane after multiple warnings were ignored. The Civil Guard confirmed that its agents responded solely to the captain’s request and were unaware of the religious affiliation of those involved.
Despite these explanations, several Israeli media outlets and an Israeli minister publicly stated that the passengers were Jewish and had been removed for religious reasons, intensifying international scrutiny.
Responses from Jewish Organizations
The Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain issued a formal statement expressing concern over the situation. The organization demanded that Vueling (VY) release documentary evidence—such as onboard video or crew reports—to provide transparency and accountability.
While the French government has not concluded, it emphasized that any evidence of religious discrimination will be addressed with appropriate seriousness.
Photo: By tjdarmstadt – IMG_6616.jpg, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61529602Similar Incidents
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) this year imposed a record $4 million fine on Lufthansa (LH) over discriminatory actions taken against Jewish passengers in May 2022.
The penalty follows an incident at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), where 128 Jewish travelers were denied boarding on Lufthansa Flight LH1334 to Budapest Airport (BUD) after arriving from New York John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) on Flight LH401.
Lufthansa Faces Record Civil Rights Penalty
A DOT investigation concluded that Lufthansa (LH) engaged in unlawful discrimination by collectively denying Jewish passengers from boarding their connecting flight, LH1334 from Frankfurt (FRA) to Budapest (BUD), following alleged non-compliance by a few passengers on the prior segment, LH401 from New York (JFK). The incident occurred on May 4, 2022.
The affected passengers, many of whom wore traditional Orthodox Jewish clothing, were not traveling as a group and did not all know each other. Despite this, Lufthansa staff treated them as a single entity, citing security concerns stemming from the earlier flight. The airline acknowledged that the mass offloading could exclude compliant passengers but opted against assessing individuals separately.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called the penalty the largest ever for a civil rights violation in air travel. He emphasized the DOT’s ongoing enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and broader efforts to hold airlines accountable for how they treat passengers.
The probe revealed that the initial concern began during LH401, operated from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA), when the captain notified security of passengers allegedly ignoring crew instructions. Upon arrival in Germany, Lufthansa refused boarding to 128 Jewish passengers scheduled on LH1334 to Budapest (BUD).
Notably, the airline failed to identify which passengers had been noncompliant. The decision to bar all visibly Jewish individuals drew over 40 formal complaints, triggering DOT’s involvement. The agency found Lufthansa in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws by not assessing individual behavior and instead acting based on religious and ethnic appearance.
Lufthansa admitted in its internal review that a “blanket decision” had been made due to logistical constraints, effectively treating the group based on appearance and assumption rather than verified conduct.
Photo: Clément AlloingUnited Airlines Faces Similar Allegations
A separate but thematically similar case involves United Airlines (UA), where 57 Jewish passengers filed a lawsuit alleging discriminatory treatment during a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) on April 22, 2023.
The plaintiffs claimed that after a visibly Jewish passenger briefly sat in an unoccupied crew seat near the restroom, a flight attendant labeled the act a “security threat.” The flight turned back mid-route to EWR, and upon return, all visibly Jewish passengers were reportedly denied reboarding.
According to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan, passengers were subjected to “collective punishment,” with no clear alternative travel plans or accommodations offered. One crew member allegedly made a discriminatory remark, intensifying claims of bias based on religion and ethnicity.
United Airlines denied the allegations, citing a legitimate safety concern involving a single individual.
Paris Orly Airport; Photo: Arnaud Gaulupeau | FlickrBottom Line
Vueling Airlines (VY), a low-cost Spanish carrier owned by International Airlines Group (IAG), continues to assert that the incident was a matter of operational safety.
A spokesperson stressed that the safety and cooperation of all passengers are critical to flight operations and that the airline’s decisions are based strictly on behavior, not identity.
As the internal investigation proceeds, both French and Spanish authorities are expected to monitor the outcome closely to determine if any further action is warranted.
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The post France Investigate Vueling Passengers Removed from Flight for Being Jews appeared first on Aviation A2Z.
