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An 85-year-old cardiologist from Southern California, Asoka Jayaweera, died on a Qatar Airways flight traveling from Los Angeles International Airport to Doha Hamad International Airport. According to allegations made by his family, Dr. Jayaweera was not provided with the vegetarian meal he had pre-ordered. Instead, flight attendants reportedly told him to "eat around" the meat in a regular meal. After this exchange, Jayaweera began choking and later died as a result of aspiration pneumonia.
A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against Qatar Airways. The suit claims that the captain refused to divert the aircraft after Jayaweera lost consciousness, despite family members stating that the incident occurred while the plane was still over U.S. airspace. The airline's crew attempted to assist but were unable to revive him; his oxygen saturation reportedly dropped below 70% and did not rise above 85%. The aircraft continued its journey and landed in Edinburgh about three and a half hours later, where Jayaweera was pronounced dead.
The case raises questions about airline liability for incidents occurring during international flights. Legal experts note that such cases are often governed by the Montreal Convention, which determines responsibility for onboard incidents based on specific circumstances.
