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1h ago

Qatar Airways Sued Over Death of 85-Year-Old Vegetarian Allegedly Served Meat on LAX–Colombo Flight

The federal lawsuit argues the carrier breached its duty of care, seeking damages beyond Montreal Convention limits.

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Qatar Airways has been sued after a passenger died choking on the flight in 2023.
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Overview

  • The wrongful-death complaint was filed on July 31 in California state court and was removed to the Central California federal court on October 3.
  • The suit alleges a pre-ordered vegetarian meal was unavailable and a flight attendant told Dr. Asoka Jayaweera to "eat around" the meat, after which he began choking.
  • Crew contacted MedAire for remote guidance as his oxygen saturation was documented at 69% and reportedly did not exceed 85% for the remainder of the flight.
  • The family says the captain declined to divert, citing an Arctic route, while the complaint asserts the jet was over the US Midwest and could have landed sooner.
  • The plane landed in Edinburgh hours later, where Jayaweera died on August 3, 2023 of aspiration pneumonia, and Qatar Airways has not issued a substantive public response in reports reviewed.