A passenger has filed a lawsuit against Qatar Airways, alleging that one of the carrier’s flight attendants stole $600 cash during a flight.
The passenger, traveling in the airline’s Business Class QSuite, was on flight QR 738 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Kolkata Airport (CCU), via Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) on February 26, 2025.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed under a California district court, the unidentified passenger boarded the A350-1000 aircraft with $4,100 in cash inside her handbag. The passenger allegedly discovered her handbag was missing when she woke up from a nap during the 15-hour flight. She alerted the cabin crew and searched for her bag.
The passenger claimed that she eventually found her designer handbag on the floor of one of the aircraft lavatories, where a Qatar Airways cabin crew member was also present.
After checking the contents of the handbag, the passenger alleged that she discovered $600 was missing. The passenger said she immediately reported the incident but no action was taken, and the suspected cabin crew member continued to work on the flight.
The lawsuit further alleges that the situation escalated when the passenger reached Kolkata, and received “threatening messages” on social media from people claiming to know or be related to the flight attendant.
Several allegations have been brought against Qatar Airways, with the lawsuit accusing the airline of an inadequate response to the theft allegation, failure to protect the passenger’s identity, and lack of compensation for the stolen funds.
The Doha-based carrier has yet to address the lawsuit and allegations.
