Heather Cho, an executive with Korean Air who also uses the native name of Cho Hyun-ah, resigned Tuesday from the airline’s catering and in-flight sales division after facing fire for halting the flight of a plane because crew served her macadamia nuts in a bag and not on a plate.
Apparently, those flying in first class — which she was — are supposed to have the snack served on a platter, CNN reported.
After she was handed the bag, Ms. Cho ordered the plane to return to its New York JFK gate so the offending crew member could be kicked off, CNN reported.
Ms. Cho, the eldest daughter of Korean Air’s chairman, Cho Yang-ho, could face up to 10 years in prison for an unauthorized delay of flights and the violation of federal laws, Fox News reported. It’s not clear if she’s going to be charged with any crime.
Mr. Cho has said he’s sorry for his daughter’s actions, while Korean Air has issued an apology, too. At the same time, the airline said the incident only made the flight 11 minutes late to its final destination, the South Korean city of Incheon.
“Even though it was not an emergency situation, backing up the plane to order an employee to deplane was an excessive act,” the airline said, CNN reported. “We will reeducate all our employees to make sure service within the plane meets high standards.”
Ms. Cho is keeping her title as vice president of the airline, CNN said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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