In 2023, a strict vegetarian passenger on a Qatar Airways flight died after choking on his meal. A recent lawsuit filed by the deceased's family has reignited controversy surrounding the circumstances of his death.

Since his family filed the lawsuit, the controversy has continued to escalate. Following the death in September 2023 of 85-year-old Asoka Jayaweera, who choked on food from his meal tray on a plane, his relatives decided to sue Qatar Airways, which was operating the flight from Los Angeles to Colombo, Sri Lanka, on which the octogenarian was traveling, The Independent reported.

Vegetarian, he is advised to “eat around” meat

When he boarded his flight, the passenger had clearly stated that he was a vegetarian and had therefore requested that his meal be adapted accordingly. This request was far from being a constraint for Qatar Airways, which offers no fewer than seven meat-free menus.

But when the meal trays were distributed, the octogenarian was given a normal menu. He then explained to the flight attendants that he did not eat meat, to which he was told that he could "eat around" the meat...

Asoka Jayaweera complied, but he choked and lost consciousness. The crew attempted to help him using the medical equipment on board (including oxygen) and the ability to contact a remote medical team, but failed.

The deceased's family believes the flight could have been hijacked

The octogenarian's relatives decided a few days ago to file a wrongful death lawsuit in California against the airline. They believe Qatar Airways was negligent when the passenger shared his dietary restrictions, but more importantly, that it failed to take appropriate measures when his client choked. According to Asoka Jayaweera's family, the plane should have been immediately diverted to provide urgent assistance to the traveler.

Qatar Airways, for its part, stated that the diversion of the aircraft was impossible because the plane was "over the Arctic Ocean." However, according to the deceased's family, the plane was flying over the American Midwest and was close to several international airports.

The flight from Los Angeles to Colombo, Sri Lanka, finally landed in Edinburgh, Scotland, but it was already too late. The octogenarian was taken to hospital, but doctors were unable to resuscitate him, and he died of "aspiration pneumonia," an infection caused by inhaling food or liquid into the lungs, rather than swallowing it.