Vegetarian Passenger Dies After Being Told To 'Eat Around The Meat' On Qatar Airway Flight, Case Moved To Federal Court After 2 Years

California: A wrongful death lawsuit against Qatar Airways was moved to the US federal court in California on October 3, alleging that the airline's negligence led to the death of an 85-year old Sri Lankan-born American passenger who was denied a vegetarian meal during a long-haul flight from Los Angeles to Colombo in 2023.

Passenger choked after being told to 'eat around' meat

According to the complaint, Asoka Jayaweera, a retired cardiologist from Southern California, had requested a vegetarian meal before boarding the 15-and-a-half-hour flight on June 30, 2023. However, the lawsuit claims that cabin crew informed him mid-flight that no vegetarian meals were available and told him to “eat around” the meat in a regular meal.

While doing so, Jayaweera reportedly began choking. Crew members then sought assistance from MedAire, a US-based aviation medical support service, and administered oxygen. The lawsuit says his oxygen levels dropped to 69% and never rose beyond 85% thereafter.

Jayaweera allegedly lost consciousness around 07:30 UTC. Despite the crew’s request for medical diversion, the pilot allegedly told a companion that the aircraft could not land as it was “flying over the Arctic Circle.” The family, however, contends that flight records show the aircraft was actually over Wisconsin and could have diverted.

Lawsuit seeks damages beyond international limit

When the flight eventually landed in Edinburgh, Scotland, Jayaweera had been unconscious for over three hours and was later declared dead at a hospital on August 3, 2023 from aspiration pneumonia, an infection caused by inhaling food or liquid into the lungs.

The complaint, filed by his son, Surya Jayaweera, accuses Qatar Airways of negligence and wrongful death. It seeks damages beyond the limits set by the Montreal Convention, which caps airline liability for onboard fatalities at approximately $175,000.

Qatar Airways has not commented publicly on the allegations.

Published on: Thursday, October 09, 2025, 01:17 PM IST