Overview

• The wrongful-death complaint by Surya Jayaweera says his 85-year-old father, Asoka Jayaweera, was told to “eat around” meat after his pre-ordered vegetarian meal was unavailable on an August 1, 2023 Qatar Airways flight from Los Angeles.
• The filing alleges he began choking, his oxygen saturation fell to 69%, the crew consulted MedAire, and he later lost consciousness before an emergency landing in Edinburgh, where he died on August 3 of aspiration pneumonia.
• Plaintiffs contend the aircraft could have diverted earlier, asserting flight data showed it over the U.S. Midwest, while crew reportedly told a companion the jet was over the Arctic and could not turn back.
• The suit was filed July 31 in California state court and removed to the Central District of California on October 3, seeking damages for negligence and wrongful death beyond the treaty cap of roughly $175,000.
• Qatar Airways has not provided an on-the-record response to reporters, and the complaint’s claims remain allegations in a pending civil case.