Family Blames Qatar Airways for Vegetarian Passenger’s Death Mid-Flight
A Qatar Airways jet arriving from Doha, Qatar, approaches the gate at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)
A California cardiologist’s final journey has sparked a wrongful death lawsuit against Qatar Airways. According to a complaint filed by his son, 85-year-old Dr. Asoka Jayaweera allegedly died after being denied a vegetarian meal on a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Doha last August.
Family members say Dr. Jayaweera, a lifelong vegetarian traveling to Sri Lanka via Qatar, had requested a vegetarian meal in advance. However, once on board, he was reportedly told that no such meals were available. Flight attendants allegedly advised him to “eat around” the meat in the standard meal provided, according to the lawsuit cited by AeroTime.
The complaint states that Dr. Jayaweera began choking soon after eating, though it remains unclear what caused the obstruction. Despite flight crew consulting with MedAire—a remote service that connects airlines with emergency physicians—the plane did not make an emergency landing. While crew members claimed the aircraft was over the Arctic and unable to divert, Jayaweera’s son contends they were actually flying above Wisconsin, where a diversion for medical assistance was still possible.
Dr. Jayaweera was given oxygen during the flight, but his condition reportedly deteriorated. The aircraft later landed in Edinburgh, Scotland, eight hours after the incident, where he was hospitalized. He died two days later from aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection caused by inhaling food or liquid, according to The Independent.
The lawsuit seeks at least $128,821 in damages plus legal costs, citing negligence and violation of international aviation law. It references the Montreal Convention, which holds airlines strictly liable for injuries or deaths resulting from accidents on international flights.
About Post Author
