Korean Air executive Heather Cho resigns after nut tirade

Heather Cho has apologised for actions. Photo / AP

A senior Korean Air executive has resigned after she delayed a plane leaving New York because of the way she was served nuts.

Heather Cho, a senior vice-president at the airline, demanded the removal of a crew member from a flight on December 5 for failing to serve macadamia nuts in a bag, not a dish

Cho, 40, who is also the eldest daughter of airline Chairman Cho Yang Ho, forced the Incheon-bound flight to taxi back to the terminal to drop off the crew member.

Cho had been the vice president for cabin service and catering at the Seoul-based airline. Her father presided over the meeting of directors that accepted her resignation.

"I apologise to the customers and the public for causing social issues and to those who have been hurt by my actions," Ms Cho said in the statement. "I will take full responsibility and resign from all my positions."

Her actions were widely criticised by South Korean media, calling it an example of the "sense of privilege" felt by families running the country's chaebols, or business conglomerates.

"Heather Cho had to resign to put out the immediate fire," said Park Ju-gun, president of corporate watchdog CEOSCORE in Seoul. "Once this dies down, she'll probably come back. As long as ownership and management aren't separated in companies, this will continue to happen."

Heather Cho will retain her role as president of Kal Hotel Network Co., which oversees the operations of the airline's hotels, the company said.

"She may be able to scold the crew member for inappropriate service as vice president, but aviation law clearly states that it is the captain who supervises the flight crew," Dong-A Ilbo said in its editorial.

Ms Cho ordered the head of the service crew on Flight 86 from New York to Seoul to deplane on Dec. 5 after an attendant earlier had served her macadamia nuts without asking. She then summoned the purser to ask a question about the airline's policy on serving nuts. She ordered the plane back to the gate and instructed the man to leave the plane when he couldn't answer.

Under the carrier's rules, passengers must be asked first before serving.

The aircraft had already left the gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport for takeoff when the incident happened. It took no more than two minutes to return to the gate to deplane the crew member, according to the airline. The flight was 11 minutes late when it arrived in Seoul.

- Bloomburg, Daily Mail