- Dr Asoka Jayaweera choked and died on a Qatar Airways flight after being served meat.
- He had pre-ordered a vegetarian meal but was given a regular meal with meat instead.
- Jayaweera lost consciousness mid-flight and died from aspiration pneumonia in hospital.
An 85-year-old vegetarian passenger choked and died mid-flight aboard a Qatar Airways aircraft, after being served a non-vegetarian meal. Despite pre-ordering a vegetarian meal, Dr Asoka Jayaweera, a retired cardiologist from Southern California, was told to "eat around" the meat in the regular non-vegetarian meal provided, Independent reported.
The incident happened aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Los Angeles to Colombo on June 30, 2023. Dr. Asoka Jayaweera had specifically ordered a vegetarian meal for the 15.5-hour journey, but was told by a flight attendant that none were available. Instead, he was given a regular meal with meat and instructed to "eat around" it.
However, while attempting to do so, Jayaweera began choking and lost consciousness. The flight crew attempted to assist, and remote medical advisors from MedAire were consulted, but Jayaweera's condition worsened. The flight eventually landed in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Jayaweera was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead on August 3, 2023. He died due to aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection caused by accidentally inhaling food or liquid.
His son Surya Jayaweera recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Qatar Airways, alleging negligence in meal service and medical response. The lawsuit claims the airline failed to provide the pre-ordered vegetarian meal and didn't respond appropriately to Jayaweera's medical emergency. He is also seeking $128,821 in damages for negligence and wrongful death, the statutory minimum amount.
The lawsuit mentions 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 incident has raised questions about airline protocols regarding dietary restrictions and passenger care, especially for elderly travelers.
This is not the first time travellers with specific dietary restrictions have faced challenges mid-flight. British reality star Jack Fowler, who has a severe nut allergy, almost died on a Qatar Airways flight to Dubai last year when served chicken curry containing nuts. Fowler had a similar experience a year earlier on Qatar Airways when served ice cream with nuts.
Other airlines have also faced similar issues. A Singapore Airlines flight from Frankfurt to New York City diverted to Paris over the summer when a 41-year-old woman allergic to shellfish became severely ill after being served shrimp.
