Vegetarian Passenger Diesโ After Allegedly Being Served Meatโ on qatar Airways Flight
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – A vegetarian passenger died onboard a Qatar Airways flight after allegedly being served a meal โฃcontaining meat, leading to choking โขand subsequent complications, according to โคaโ lawsuitโ filed byโค his son. Dr. Mohan Jayaweera, 74, passed awayโ during aโ flightโฃ from Doha to Edinburgh on October 9, 2023, after reportedly consuming part of a meal despite pre-ordering a vegetarian option.
The death has sparked a legal challenge seeking damages for negligence and wrongful โขdeath, raising questions aboutโ airlineโค catering procedures and adherence to passengerโฃ dietary requirements. The case highlights the potential consequences of โmiscommunication or error in serving special โฃmeals, impacting โฃtravelers with allergies or specific โdietary needs. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S.District Court for theโ Eastern District โคof New York, seeks to hold Qatar Airways accountable under the Montreal Convention, anโ international treaty governing airlineโค liability.
According to the complaint, Dr. Jayaweera โฃhad pre-ordered aโค vegetarian meal for the flight. However, upon receiving his โคfood, he โคwas allegedly instructed by flight stewards to “eat around” any meat present. He consumed aโ portionโ of the meal beforeโข beginning to choke. โCrewโ members attempted toโ assist,administering โคoxygen,but his oxygen saturation levels remained critically low throughout the remainder of the flight.
The complaint details that Dr.โ Jayaweera was unconscious for approximately three and aโข half hours before โthe flight landed inโข Edinburgh,where he was โpromptly โtransported to a hospital. He was laterโ pronounced dead, withโ the cause of death steadfast to be aspiration pneumonia, an infectionโ resulting fromโข inhaling food or liquid into the lungs.
Qatar Airways offers 19 special โmeals in addition to standard options, including seven meat-freeโ choices to accommodate dietaryโค restrictions. The โฃlawsuit notesโข both Qatar and the United States are signatories toโ the Montreal Convention, which establishesโ a payout limit of roughly $175,000 โขfor onboard death and injury claims.
Dr. Jayaweera’s son, Surya Jayaweera, is pursuingโข legal action, alleging negligenceโ and wrongful death. the case isโ ongoing, and Qatar Airways has โขnot โฃyet โpublicly commented on โthe specific allegations.
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