An 85-year-old customer who was a staunch vegetarian reportedly choked to death on a flight after being fed a non-vegetarian dinner, and Qatar Airways is now facing a wrongful death case in the US.
In July 2023, Dr. Asoka Jayaweera, a retired cardiologist from Southern California, was refused the vegetarian dinner he had requested on a flight from Los Angeles to Colombo. His son, Surya Jayaweera, filed the complaint, claiming that the staff told him to “eat around” the meat in the usual meal instead, according to the Independent.
According to the complaint, Jayaweera started coughing while trying to do so and eventually passed out. He never recovered consciousness, even after the flight crew intervened and MedAire, an airline medical advising service, provided remote help.
The crew allegedly told passengers that diversion was not feasible since the plane was travelling “over the Arctic Circle,” which prevented the flight from making an emergency landing right away. Flight data, according to the family, indicates that the jet was really above the US Midwest, indicating that a diversion would have been possible.
After a few hours, the plane finally touched down in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Jayaweera was transported to the hospital and declared dead on August 3, 2023.
The airline cites an international treaty, but the family claims carelessness.
Qatar Airways is accused of carelessness and wrongful death in the complaint, which was filed in a federal court in California. It points to shortcomings in medical response protocol as well as meal service. Given the passenger’s pre-booked dietary requirement and his medical suffering during the journey, the family’s lawyers contend that the airline breached its duty of care.
Aspiration pneumonia, which is brought on by breathing food or liquid into the lungs, was listed as the cause of death in court documents.
The Montreal Convention, an international agreement that regulates airline responsibility in situations involving harm or death on board, is also mentioned in the case. The convention, to which the US and Qatar are parties, caps statutory compensation in certain situations at about $175,000.
Past occurrences and a larger background
The complaint was filed as concerns about in-flight food safety and allergy control are becoming more widespread. Similar events have occurred with Qatar Airways in recent years, including two different complaints from British reality TV personality Jack Fowler, who was fed nuts despite alerting the staff to his severe allergy and nearly died as a result.
In another case this year, a Singapore Airlines flight from Frankfurt to New York was diverted to Paris after a passenger with a shellfish allergy fell critically ill mid-air. Under international aviation standards, airlines must make accommodations for dietary and medical needs if they are notified beforehand. However, execution frequently hinges on aircraft scheduling, catering logistics, and meal availability, particularly for long-haul flights.