Qatar Airways Sued After Child Suffers Severe Allergic Reaction

A Qatar Airways flight attendant gave a 3-year-old girl a Kit Kat bar after her mother warned the crew multiple times not to serve anything with dairy. The toddler went into anaphylactic shock and spent two days in intensive care.

Swetha Neerukonda from North Carolina is suing Qatar Airways for $5 million after the April 9 incident on a 14-hour flight from Washington Dulles to India.

"It's inconceivable – they take it upon themselves to give the child the allergen?" said attorney Abram Bohrer. "This was a very serious, life-threatening situation."

According to the lawsuit filed October 31 in Virginia federal court, the cabin crew barely helped while the child's condition crashed mid-flight.

What Happened

Neerukonda told cabin crew when boarding about her daughter's severe dairy and nut allergies. She repeated the warning during the flight.

When Neerukonda needed the bathroom, a flight attendant agreed to watch her daughter. Neerukonda warned again about the allergies. The attendant acknowledged it.

Neerukonda came back to find the flight attendant feeding her daughter a Kit Kat. Chocolate with milk. The exact thing she'd been warned about repeatedly.

The flight attendant "responded by admitting that she had fed the snack to the child, and mocked and mitigated [Neerukonda's] concerns," according to the lawsuit.

Nobody Helped

The girl's oxygen levels dropped rapidly. Neerukonda administered an EpiPen herself. The cabin crew didn't make a PA announcement asking for a doctor, despite that being airline policy.

"You'd think they would jump into action, calling for ground-based telemedicine support, asking for a doctor on board," Bohrer said. "But they were somewhat blasé, very indifferent."

When Neerukonda tried talking to another passenger who witnessed what happened, a flight attendant stopped her, claiming it violated airline policy.

The girl stabilized enough to make the connection in Doha. But once they landed in India, she had a second anaphylactic reaction. She spent two days in the ICU before she recovered.

Airlines Keep Doing This

The FAA doesn't require airlines to carry EpiPens. Planes must have epinephrine vials, but only trained medical professionals can administer them, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

So, if you or someone you are traveling with has severe allergies, you better pack your own EpiPen and hope someone knows how to use it.

This isn't Qatar Airways' first food-related disaster. In 2023, a California cardiologist died on a Qatar flight after ordering a vegetarian meal, getting one with meat instead, and being told to "eat around" the meat. He choked and died.

Last year, a New York physician on Singapore Airlines got violently ill after being served shrimp despite warning about her shellfish allergy. Flight diverted to Paris for emergency treatment.

In June 2024, British reality TV star Jack Fowler nearly died from anaphylaxis on an Emirates flight after being served cashews despite warning about his nut allergy.

"Cashew is the worst nut for me," Fowler said. "Straight away I knew my throat was closing up, I couldn't breathe."

The Pattern

A parent warns crew multiple times about a severe allergy. The crew acknowledges it. Then gives the child the exact thing that could kill her. When the child goes into shock, the crew acts indifferent.

That's not an accident. That's gross negligence.

Airlines deal with food allergies constantly. Flight attendants get training on this. Yet passengers with severe allergies keep ending up hospitalized or dead after staff ignore warnings.

A 3-year-old can't advocate for herself. That's why her mother warned the crew repeatedly. That's why she specifically told the attendant about the dairy allergy before going to the bathroom.

The attendant gave her a Kit Kat anyway. Then mocked the mom's concerns while the kid's oxygen crashed.

The Lawsuit

Neerukonda's complaint says her daughter "suffered great pain, agony and mental anguish" and will likely have ongoing problems.

She wants $5 million in damages, plus interest, court costs, and legal fees. A jury trial has been requested.

Qatar Airways hasn't responded to media requests or filed a response to the lawsuit yet.

What This Actually Means

Anaphylaxis shuts down airways and can be fatal without immediate treatment. One woman with a shellfish allergy nearly died after kissing her boyfriend who'd eaten shrimp earlier. It's that serious.

Two days in the ICU because someone couldn't follow basic instructions after being warned three times.

Qatar Airways needs to explain how this happened and what they're doing to prevent it. So far, silence.

Parents traveling with kids who have severe allergies shouldn't have to worry that flight attendants will actively ignore warnings and feed their children allergens. But apparently that's where we are.

Pack your own EpiPen. Warn the crew. Then pray they actually listen instead of handing your kid a Kit Kat and mocking you if it goes wrong.

If this story concerns you as a traveler or parent, consider sharing it so others understand the risks passengers with severe allergies continue to face on commercial flights.