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Nuts reason for Korean Air delay
Print Edition
FORGET dust-ups over reclining seats in economy class. There’s a new and exclusive twist on inflight anger: Nut rage in first class.
A recent Korean Air Lines flight was delayed when its chairman’s daughter, who is also vice president responsible for cabin service at the airline, ordered a senior crew member off the plane. The crime? Allowing passengers in the pointy end of the aircraft to be served bagged macadamia nuts instead of nuts on a plate.
The airline has apologized for inconveniencing passengers, but also excused the executive’s behavior.
South Korean daily Segye Ilbo reported this week that the flight from New York City to Incheon, South Korea returned to the gate after Cho Hyun-ah told the head of cabin crew to leave the plane. The report said Cho quarreled with crew in the first class cabin and the flight left 20 minutes late.
Cho, 40, is the oldest child of Korean Air’s chairman, tycoon Cho Yang-ho. Her two siblings are also executives at South Korea’s largest airline.
The incident caused uproar in South Korea where it is seen as an example of over-mighty behavior by the offspring of a moneyed elite.
The South Korean economy is dominated by family-controlled conglomerates known as chaebol. Family members often wield greater influence over major companies than shareholders and executives with no blood ties to the founding family. The Cho family owns about 10 percent of Korean Air Lines, part of a business empire than spans the travel, logistics, hotel and leisure industries.
Korean Air Lines confirmed that Flight 86 was delayed at John F. Kennedy airport on December 5 due to the nut incident. But the company said the decision to disembark the crew member was made by the captain.
South Korea’s government said it is investigating whether Cho violated aviation safety law. Cho could face legal action if the probe shows that she interrupted the flight or endangered safety by using threats, her status or violence.
Korean Air Lines Co said yesterday that it was “natural” for Cho to fault crew’s ignorance of procedures.
Cabin crew are required to ask first class passengers whether they want nuts, partly to avoid serving them to people with allergies. The nuts also should have been served on a plate, it said.
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