Ex-Korean Air executive jailed for 1 year in ‘nut rage’ case

A South Korean court has sentenced a former Korean Air executive to one year in prison after finding her guilty of violating aviation safety law.

Cho Hyun-ah, the daughter of the airline’s chairman, Cho Yang-ho, attracted outrage after she ordered a plane to be turned back on December 5, 2014 due to the way she was served nuts.

Cho had asked to be served Macadamia nuts and she flew into a rage when an attendant brought them in a bag instead of on a dish.

She then forced the plane, which was already taxiing at New York's John F Kennedy (JFK) Airport, to go back to the gate where she ordered the offending attendant off the flight.

The court also found her guilty of forcing a flight to change its route, obstructing the flight captain’s performance of his duties and forcing a crew member off a plane.

Cho publicly apologized and resigned from the company after the incident. She was arrested on December 30.