A Seoul court has sentenced the former vice president of Korean Air, Cho Hyun-ah (40), to one year in prison for throwing a temper tantrum on a Korean Air jet when macadamia nuts were served improperly on the runway at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
On December 5, Cho Hyun-ah was a passenger on Flight 86 from New York to Seoul. As the plane was sitting on the runway, ready for takeoff, an attendant served Cho a bag of macadamia nuts without asking. Cho was infuriated. She "screamed and scolded" the attendant, then ordered the pilot to return back to the gate, where the head of the service crew was kicked off the plane.
Cho was found guilty of obstructing aviation safety law. Speaking to reporters, the visibly cowed former exec said she has resigned from managerial positions and had no plans. Her father, chairman of Korean airlines, asked that he be "scolded" in her stead.
