33-year-old Swetha Neerukonda, from North Carolina, sued Qatar Airways after a flight attendant served her daughter a KitKat. The 3-year-old suffered a significant allergic reaction after consuming the chocolate bar. The woman alleged that the cabin crew gave her daughter the candy bar even after being told that the child is allergic to dairy and nuts.
The incident took place on April 9, when they were traveling from Virginia, to India, where they were scheduled to catch a connecting flight to Doha.
During a brief moment in the flight, Swetha had to use the lavatory and requested a female flight attendant from Qatar Airways to watch her child in her absence. Right before using the washroom, the mom reminded the cabin crew member once again about her daughter’s allergic concerns.
When Swetha returned, she was shocked to see that the attendant had served her daughter a KitKat bar, which contains dairy. As she confronted the flight attendant, the latter mocked her concerns and admitted that she had fed the child the candy. As per the filing of the lawsuit, the cabin crew went on to assert that she ‘knew better’ than the mother while belittling her concerns. Things turned more serious when the 3-year-old suffered a severe anaphylaxis.
For the unversed, anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that can block and shut down the body’s airways, leading to difficulty breathing. The condition can worsen and become fatal if medication is not administered immediately.
Neerukonda’s lawsuit details that her daughter’s health condition began to decline, rapidly, after consuming the KitKat bar. Her vitals dipped, and the mother had to administer an EpiPen to her daughter. The mother alleged that no announcement was made on the flight informing passengers of the child’s medical emergency, which she claims was a clear violation of standard flight procedures. The rest of the cabin crew did not offer any help during such a period of emergency, leaving Swetha to save her daughter on her own.
A Hindu vegetarian doctor died on a Qatar Airways flight. 😳
Crew told him to “eat around the meat” when his veg meal wasn’t available.
Family has sued the airline for negligence — saying no medical help was given and flight diversion was delayed. 💔✈️ pic.twitter.com/3fivKUhv9a
— Mr Smith (@MrSmith9951) October 12, 2025
More shockingly, Swetha was prevented by another flight attendant from sharing any details of the incident with a neighboring passenger, including how her daughter had just suffered a severe allergic reaction. The 33-year-old was told that doing so would be a violation of the airline’s policy.
After the flight landed, the toddler was taken straight off the aircraft by paramedics, who helped her board a connecting flight to India. During the transit and subsequent landing, the little girl suffered another rebound reaction. This time, she was rushed to the ICU, where she received treatment for two days.
Neerukonda’s lawsuit clearly outlines the alleged wrongdoing by the Qatar Airways flight attendant and demands $5 million in damages to be paid by the airline. The 33-year-old’s filing cites “economic loss, great pain, agony, and mental anguish” suffered by the young passenger at the core of its complaint. The lawsuit was filed on October 31 in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.
Attorney Abram Bohrer, who is handling the case mentioned, said, “A mom should be able to trust that a flight attendant could keep an eye on her child for a few minutes. This is a young child who, through no fault of their own, ends up attached to all these cables, wires, needles. It’s beyond bizarre. It’s unforgivable.”
Qatar Airways, however, has so far remained unavailable for comment on the case, which has already drawn significant public attention.
