Luftscamsa - Lufthansa Faces Reinstated Lawsuit Over Disclosure of Gay Couple’s Status to Saudi Authorities

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has reinstated a lawsuit against Deutsche Lufthansa AG. The ruling allows a gay couple to pursue claims that the airline’s negligence exposed their relationship to the Saudi Arabian government. The plaintiffs, identified as John Doe and Robert Roe, allege that Lufthansa staff in Riyadh recklessly disclosed their marriage certificate to local authorities. Homosexuality remains a capital offense in Saudi Arabia punishable by death. Mr. Doe, a United States citizen, and Mr. Roe, a Saudi national, had lived discreetly in the kingdom for decades. The incident occurred in May 2021 while the couple attempted to travel to the United States during the pandemic. To comply with entry restrictions, the men presented their California marriage certificate to Lufthansa ground staff. They requested that the airline treat the document with extreme confidentiality. According to court documents, a Lufthansa manager at the Riyadh airport responded with open hostility. The manager allegedly began shouting and mocked the couple in front of other passengers. The manager then demanded copies of the marriage license and their passports. Despite the couple's warnings regarding their personal safety, the airline employee allegedly transmitted these records to Saudi government entities. Shortly after the encounter, Mr. Roe discovered that his official status in the Saudi national digital system had been changed. His designation moved from single to married, a status legally impossible for same-sex couples in that jurisdiction. Fearing immediate prosecution or execution, Mr. Roe fled his home country. He was forced to sell his property at a loss of approximately 300,000 dollars and now lives in permanent exile. The stress of the event allegedly caused Mr. Roe to develop pulmonary fibrosis. This chronic lung condition has significantly diminished his quality of life and physical health. Lufthansa had previously argued that United States courts lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case. The carrier maintained that the events occurred entirely on foreign soil. The Ninth Circuit rejected this defense. The court ruled that by selling tickets to a United States resident for travel to California, the airline established a sufficient legal connection to the forum. The ruling emphasizes that international carriers are not immune from accountability for the actions of their overseas staff. This is particularly relevant when those actions involve the mishandling of sensitive passenger data. The incident indicates a systemic failure to instill professional discretion within the carrier’s international workforce. Local staff appeared to exercise personal judgment, allowing individual prejudices to dictate their interactions with passengers rather than adhering to neutral service standards. Legal experts suggested that such lapses often stem from a lack of comprehensive training regarding the protection of sensitive traveler information. This absence of institutional control permits staff to disregard the physical safety and privacy of the consumer without apparent concern for customer satisfaction. The carrier has not publicly commented on the specifics of the ongoing litigation. The case will now proceed to discovery in a California federal court.