A federal judge has officially designated a California man as a vexatious litigant, citing his history of filing a high volume of lawsuits against airlines. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen came after Sergey Firsov sued Scandinavian Airlines, claiming he was served a vegetarian meal instead of chicken on a flight and that a broken air conditioning system caused him and his dogs distress.
According to Firsov's complaint, flight attendants announced a choice between chicken and vegetarian pasta, but by the time meal service reached approximately the 40th row, the chicken entrees had run out. Firsov alleged that he and other passengers seated further back were compelled to accept the vegetarian option, as the crew claimed insufficient chicken meals had been loaded. He further claimed to have later observed flight attendants consuming chicken meals in the rear galley, and that his request for one was denied, with staff stating the meals were for "internal use."
Judge Chen dismissed the case in January, ruling that the court lacked personal jurisdiction for part of the dispute and that Firsov had not sufficiently alleged the physical injury required by the Montreal Convention for his meal-related claim. However, the judge noted that this lawsuit was part of a larger pattern, with Firsov filing 27 lawsuits against airlines in the preceding two years.
In a ruling on June 23, Chen stated that Firsov's actions suggested a "scorched earth approach" rather than decisions based on the specifics of individual cases. Court records indicate Firsov filed 30 lawsuits in the Northern District of California between March 2025 and June of the current year, with the vast majority targeting airlines. Many of these cases were dismissed due to issues such as lack of jurisdiction, failure to state a claim, improper service, or failure to pay filing fees.
The court also noted that Firsov had previously been declared a vexatious litigant by the Santa Clara Superior Court in 2020. Earlier in the Scandinavian Airlines case, Chen had sanctioned Firsov $722 for filing a motion to strike in bad faith, and the airline later sought to hold him in civil contempt for non-payment of the sanctions.
Judge Chen highlighted other instances of what he described as frivolous claims made by Firsov in prior airline cases. These included allegations that Austrian Airlines acted improperly by preventing him from taking his dog into an airplane lavatory, seeking approximately $1,100 for emergency clothing after delayed baggage, and claiming he incurred $10,000 for a private jet to make a meeting following a commercial flight delay. In one notable case, Firsov argued an airline had wronged him by serving a vegetarian meal because "he is a man and needs to eat meat."
"Mr. Firsov has caused needless expense to the airlines he has sued and imposed an unnecessary burden on the undersigned and other judges in this District," the judge wrote. While Scandinavian Airlines requested a broad filing ban, Judge Chen opted for a more narrowly tailored order, restricting future lawsuits specifically against airlines.