Korean Air VP Heather Cho resigns over nut rage

Korean Air VP Heather Cho, who delayed a plane because she was angry with the way she had been served nuts by a flight attendant, has resigned, the airline announces.

Heather Cho, who is also the daughter of Korean Air chairman, had demanded the crew member be removed from a flight on December 5 for failing to serve the nuts on a plate.

The Incheon-bound flight had to taxi back to the terminal in New York.

Korean Air has apologized, but said Heather Cho had had the support of the pilot.

The flight eventually arrived in South Korea 11 minutes behind schedule.

Local media reports said that a junior attendant had offered Heather Cho macadamia nuts in a bag, instead of serving the nuts on a plate.

Heather Cho then questioned the chief flight attendant over in-flight service standards and ordered him off the plane.

The airline told Korea Times that checking quality of service was one of Heather Cho’s jobs, as she was responsible for in-flight service for the carrier.

It also said the crew member had replied with “lies and excuses” when challenged over the correct nut-serving procedure.

However, transport authorities are investigating whether Heather Cho’s actions infringed aviation law.

“Even though she is senior vice-president at the company, she was a passenger at that time, so she had to behave and be treated as a passenger,” a South Korea transport ministry official told reporters.