Family of 85-year-old Asoka Jayaweera from California has filed a lawsuit against Qatar Airways, holding the airline responsible for Jayaweera’s death after he allegedly choked to death while travelling from Los Angeles to Colombo, Sri Lanka, in June 2023.
Dr Jayaweera, who was a cardiologist, was pronounced dead when he was taken to a local hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, on August 3, 2023, according to The Independent. He had been unconscious for about three hours before he was taken to the hospital.
Post-mortem examination revealed that he died of aspiration pneumonia, a condition that occurs when food or liquid enters the lungs.
Crew members of the airlines had reportedly served a non-vegetarian meal despite a request for vegetarian options and told him to “eat around” the meat, according to the complaint filed in a California court.
The family claimed that the airline failed to provide a vegetarian meal and mishandled the in-flight emergency, which led to his death.
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“While attempting to ‘eat around’ the meat in the meal that he was provided, Asoka Jayaweera began choking shortly thereafter,” the filing states. It does not specify which food item caused the choking.
The complaint also revealed that crew members tried to assist but were not able to resuscitate him. Their efforts include monitoring Jayaweera’s oxygen saturation level and reaching out to MedAire, a service that provides real-time medical guidance during flights.
However, the pilot reportedly did not attempt an emergency landing, stating the plane was over the Arctic region. Dr. Jayaweera’s son, Surya Jayaweera, disputed the claim, arguing that the flight was over the Midwestern United States and could have diverted without safety concerns.
Qatar Airways has not issued a public statement regarding the lawsuit.
