Qatar Airways ‘eat around the meat’ case may set precedent for aviation negligence claims

An 85-year-old doctor from California was served a non-veg meal on a Qatar Airways flight, leading to his death. According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his son, Asoka Jayaweera was a strict vegetarian and had requested a vegetarian meal. However, he was told that the vegetarian options were over and he could "eat around the meat." This led to him choking to death, as per the lawsuit. The case could become a precedent for future claims over medical emergencies on flights and special meals. Jayaweera's son is seeking damages over and above the Montreal Convention, claiming the airline did not respond properly to the emergency situation, which led to Asoka's death. The lawsuit notes that Qatar and the United States are members of the international treaty that governs airline liability. For onboard death and injury, a claimant can claim roughly $175,000. However, Surya Jayaweera is seeking damages for negligence and wrongful death. The lawsuit claims that the pilot did not make an emergency landing after Asoka fell sick, allegedly lying about the flight's location.

After Asoka Jayaweera fell sick on the flight from Los Angeles to Sri Lanka, the flight attendant told his travelling partner that the plane could not make an emergency landing since they were over the Arctic Circle/Ocean. However, his son claims that the plane was over the Midwest and could have landed somewhere. After the meal service started two-and-a-half hours into the 15-and-a-half-hour flight, Asoka was offered a regular meal with meat. “Mr Jayaweera was a strict vegetarian and requested a vegetarian meal,” the lawsuit states. When he told the attendant that he had requested a vegetarian meal, he was instructed to "eat around" the meat. “While attempting to ‘eat around’ the meat in the meal that he was provided, Asoka Jayaweera began choking shortly thereafter,” the complaint states.

Also Read: 85-year-old vegetarian told to 'eat around the meat' on Qatar Airways flight chokes to death

What happened on board Qatar Airways flight to Sri Lanka?

The flight attendants spoke with aviation-trained ER doctors of MedAire, an Arizona-based service. "His oxygen saturation level was 69 per cent" at 02:46 UTC, and did not return above 85 per cent despite being administered oxygen. Meanwhile, according to the lawsuit, despite being over Wisconsin, the pilot did not divert the flight. "Jayaweera lost consciousness at about 07:30 UTC" and was taken to the hospital only after 11:00 UTC when the plane landed in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. It was too late by then, and he was declared dead due to "aspiration pneumonia", a condition in which the food enters the lungs.

The case can go on to become a precedent since it highlights the critical importance of accurate meal handling, an issue which might not be considered a big thing yet in aviation circles. It also shows that flight attendants need to have real-time medical response capabilities to handle life-threatening emergencies.

Medical emergencies involving meals on flights

There have been similar incidents involving meals in the past. British reality star Jack Fowler said last year that he almost died after eating a chicken curry on board a Qatar Airways flight to Dubai, that had peanuts since he is severely allergic to nuts. Fowler says in 2023, he was served an ice cream with nuts, again on a Qatar Airways flight. While Fowler escaped these medical emergencies, Asoka was not as lucky. Now his case could go on to become a precedent in the aviation industry.