A former Korean Air vice president was jailed for one year today for breaking aviation laws after exploding with rage over the way nuts were served to her in first class.
Cho Hyun-ah, 40, also known as Heather Cho, was furious that a first class stewardess gave her macadamia nuts in an unopened snack bag, as opposed to on a dish.
Cho, the national carrier’s former head of in-flight service, ordered to Seoul-bound plane to return to the gate at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport after it had begun taxiing to the runway.
She also demanded the chief flight attendant be thrown off the plane.
During the trial a witnesses said the defendant struck a flight attendant with the service manual.
Cho is the daughter of Korean Air’s chairman Cho Yang-ho and the incident in December, dubbed “nut rage”, sparked fury in South Korea, where family-run conglomerates are often accused of acting above the law.
Giving evidence during the trial, the cabin crew chief told the court that Cho behaved “like a beast” and treated the crew “like slaves”.
Prosecutors had sought a three-year prison sentence after Cho was found guilty of illegally forcing the flight to change route.
She was found not guilty of using her position for obstruction of due process.
Cho has apologised and resigned from all posts at the airline.
In a letter read out to the district court in Seoul, she said she was “truly sorry to those who were hurt”.
But Judge Oh Sung-woo said Cho had show insufficient remorse.
He said: “This is a case where human dignity was trampled upon.”
