A vegetarian plane passenger died after he was allegedly denied a vegetarian meal. The family of Asoka Jayaweera claimed the 85-year-old “choked to death” after being told to “eat around the meat” while on board the flight.
He was flying from Los Angeles to Sri Lanka, with Qatar Airways, on August 3, 2023, when the fatal incident took place. A newly filed lawsuit has revealed that stewards allegedly told him to “eat around the meat” in his meal around two-and-a-half hours into the flight. Mr Jayaweera, a cardiologist from Southern California, was reportedly told there were no meat-free meals left for passengers. He then began to choke on his food and members of the crew stepped in.
As reported by The Sun, his son has, Surya, has filed a complaint. It reads: “Mr Jayaweera was a strict vegetarian and requested a vegetarian meal.”
The plane crew tried to save Mr Jayaweera’s life while the pilot struggled to make an emergency landing. However, Surya claims the plane, which was unable to land due to travelling over the Arctic Circle and Arctic Ocean, could have been easily diverted.
According to his complaint, the plane was passing over Wisconsin at the time. It added: “At approximately 02:46 UTC, Asoka Jayaweera was monitored with an oxygen saturation level of 69 percent.”
Oxygen levels below 88% are considered very dangerous, and the crew continued to give Mr Jayaweera oxygen, but his levels failed to hit 85%. The plan eventually touched down in Edinburgh, but by this point, Mr Jayaweera had been unconscious for around three and a half hours.
He was rushed to hospital but died. Surya claims his father died from aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection that occurs when food or liquid is inhaled into the lungs instead of being swallowed properly.
Qatar Airways offers passengers a number of standard meal options as well as 19 special meals. These include seven meat-free options.
The airline’s website states: “Qatar Airways offers a selection of special meals thoughtfully crafted to cater to specific dietary preferences as well as an option for your little ones.
“Make a request for a special meal (including children’s meals) during booking or add to your flight details via ‘Manage Booking’ at least 24 hours before departure.”
Qatar Airways is yet to comment on the incident.