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Why Qatar Airways is in spotlight after death of elderly vegetarian passenger
Dr Asoka Jayaveera’s son, Surya Jayaweera, recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Qatar Airways, alleging negligence in meal service.
Qatar Airways is in the spotlight after an 85-year-old vegetarian passenger allegedly died by choking after being served a ‘non-vegetarian’ meal aboard a flight.
Dr Asoka Jayaveera’s son, Surya Jayaweera, recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Qatar Airways, alleging negligence in meal service and medical response.
The incident happened on board a Qatar Airways flight from Los Angeles to Colombo in June 2023. Dr Jayaveera, a retired cardiologist from Southern California, had pre-ordered a vegetarian meal but was served a “non-vegetarian” meal and was allegedly told to “eat around the meat”. He choked while eating the meal and lost consciousness, the Independent reported.
The flight made an emergency landing in Scotland’s Edinburgh and Dr Jayaveera was rushed to a hospital, but died there on August 3, 2023, due to aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection caused by accidentally inhaling food or liquid, the report added.
The lawsuit by the deceased passenger's son
The lawsuit filed by Dr Asoka Jayaveera's son, Surya Jayaveera, claims the airline failed to provide the pre-ordered vegetarian meal and didn't respond appropriately to his father’s medical emergency.
Surya is also seeking $128,821 in damages for negligence and wrongful death, the statutory minimum amount.
The lawsuit has reportedly mentioned that Qatar and the US are part of the Montreal Convention, an international treaty governing airline liability. This convention sets a statutory payout limit of around $175,000 for onboard death and injury claims.
"Qatar and the United States are members of the Montreal Convention and as such QATAR is subject to the Convention's rules and has acquiesced to strict liability for personal injury or wrongful deaths occurring as a result of an accident on an international flight," the complaint states, the Independent report said.
The incident has raised questions about airline protocols regarding dietary restrictions and passenger care, especially for elderly travellers.
