A rabbi was denied boarding on a Kenya Airways flight from Johannesburg to Nairobi, allegedly due to his visibly Jewish appearance. While other members of his travel group were allowed to board, the rabbi was singled out and turned away. A Kenya Airways staff member reportedly confirmed that his religious attire was the issue, stating, “That’s it, it’s not good.”

In response to public outcry, Kenya Airways issued a statement on social media claiming the group had been “behaving disruptively and appeared to be intoxicated.” However, video footage from the incident does not appear to support this claim. The airline also argued that since some members of the group were allowed to board, the decision was not based on religious discrimination.

The incident echoes past controversies. Lufthansa was fined $4 million last year after it barred Jewish passengers from a connecting flight over mask rule violations—despite non-Jewish passengers being permitted to continue their journey. British Airways also faced backlash last year for removing a Jewish sitcom from its in-flight entertainment, allegedly to remain “neutral” on Israel and Hamas.

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