Korean Air executive jailed in 'nut rage' case

SEOUL, South Korea — A former airline executive was jailed for a year on Thursday for violating aviation safety law after a trial that stemmed from her tantrum over how she was served macadamia nuts on a flight. 

Cho Hyun-ah, also known as Heather Cho, the 40-year-old daughter of Korean Air's chairman, achieved worldwide notoriety after she ordered the chief flight attendant off a Dec. 5 flight, forcing it to return to the gate at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. 

She was angered she had been offered macadamia nuts in a bag instead of a dish. A heated and physical confrontation with members of the crew in first class ensued. 

A district court in Seoul ruled Thursday that Ms. Cho had illegally forced the flight to change its route by ordering it back to the gate. Her conduct subjected the passengers to potential danger, the court said.

“She forced the plane to turn around as if it were her own private plane,” Judge Oh Seong-u said in announcing the sentence,

Cho is one of the richest women in South Korea and was the airline's head of cabin service at the time of the incident. 

Her father – who apologised for her behaviour – said in court that he "regrets that he didn’t raise her better".

Her high-and-mighty behavior, dubbed "nut rage," caused an uproar in South Korea, where the economy is dominated by family-run conglomerates known as chaebol that often act above the law.