Airline meal controversy: Elderly passenger dies mid-air after being served wrong food

In a tragic incident, an 85-year-old passenger on a Qatar Airways flight travelling from the United States died mid-flight after he was served a non-vegetarian meal. The incident has left the world shocked and sad at the same time. The old man, despite having pre-ordered a vegetarian meal, was served a non-veg meal. The event has led to a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the airline. It has also raised some serious questions about passenger safety on flights.

The Incident


As per reports, an elderly passenger who was on a strict vegetarian diet had specifically asked for vegetarian food when booking his flight. But he was served a meat-based delicacy. According to reports, he immediately informed the flight attendants about the same, but instead of taking it back, the airplane staff allegedly advised him to "eat around" the meat. Soon after, the elderly passenger started to choke and died mid flight.

Legalities


The death of the old man has led to some serious legal repercussions. His family has filed a lawsuit against Qatar Airways. The family alleged negligence and said the airline failed to provide emergency medical assistance. The flight was not diverted to the nearest airport to seek medical help. The legal representatives of the family have argued that the airline's actions have contributed to the passenger's untimely death.


Response from Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways, in response, has expressed its condolences to the family. The airline further mentioned that they are cooperating with the authorities. They are helping completely in investigating the incident. The airline has emphasised its commitment to passenger safety while reviewing its procedures to ensure that such an incident does not occur in the future.

The event shows the importance of airlines following passengers' dietary preferences. For many travellers, especially those on dietary constraints due to health or religious reasons, the assurance of receiving the requested meal is important.


Not only this, the tragic incident also shows the necessity for airlines to have clear protocols for medical emergencies. The decision not to divert the flight for medical assistance raises questions about the airline's emergency response.

The death of an elderly passenger on a flight is a reminder of the potential consequences when airlines fail to meet passengers' expectations that too when mentioned prior. This only shows negligence on the part of the airline which is counted among the best in the world.

As the legal proceedings go on, the hope is that this tragedy will only lead to some important meaningful changes in airline practices, hoping to prevent such accidents in the future.