Stepping down: Heather Cho answers questions at a news conference in Incheon on Tuesday. Photo: AP
Seoul: A Korean Air executive, whose dismay over the way she was served macadamia nuts led to a plane returning to its gate to expel the cabin crew chief, has stepped down as head of in-flight service, the airline says.
Korean Air apologised for theincident at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday in which Heather Cho took issue with a crew member for substandard service.
However, Ms Cho, the 40-year-old daughter of the airline's chairman, Cho Yang-ho, will remain a vice-president with the South Korean flag carrier, the airline said late on Tuesday.
The incident aboard an Airbus A380 jumbo jet that had been pushed back from its gate bound for Incheon, near Seoul, provoked outrage in South Korea when it was reported on Monday.
'I am sorry to our customers and the Korean people that I unintentionally caused social uproar and I ask forgiveness from anyone who has been hurt by me,' a company official quoted Ms Cho as saying late on Tuesday.
'I take responsibility for the incident,' the official quoted her as saying.
The airline said late on Monday that although Ms Cho was responsible for supervising in-flight service, it was 'excessive' that the plane was returned to the gate to expel a crew member in a non-emergency situation.
Ms Cho, also known as Cho Hyun-Ah, was seated in first class when she took issue with a flight attendant who handed her macadamia nuts in a bag, not on a dish, according to an industry official briefed on the matter.
Ms Cho summoned the cabin crew chief to ask if the flight attendant was following the in-flight service manual, and the crew chief could not answer promptly, the airline said.
Ms Cho 'took issue with the cabin crew chief's qualifications', and the plane was returned by the pilot to its gate to expel the crew chief, the airline said.
The flight arrived in Incheon 11 minutes behind schedule.
South Korea's Transport Ministry said on Monday it was investigating the incident.
Ms Cho is the oldest of Cho Yang-ho's three children, who are all executives with the airline.
Reuters Entities 0 Name: Cho Count: 6 1 Name: Incheon Count: 3 2 Name: Korean Air Count: 2 3 Name: Heather Cho Count: 2 4 Name: Seoul Count: 2 5 Name: Cho Yang-ho Count: 2 6 Name: South Korea Count: 2 7 Name: Airbus Count: 1 8 Name: Cho Hyun-Ah Count: 1 9 Name: South Korean Count: 1 10 Name: New York Count: 1 11 Name: Transport Ministry Count: 1 12 Name: John F. Kennedy International Airport Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1B3e2ST Title: Airline chief's daughter resigns after 'snack rage' tantrum - Telegraph Description: The daughter of Korean Air's chief executive has resigned as head of in-flight services at the airline after her clear views on how macadamia nuts should be served led to a plane returning to its gate to expel the cabin crew chief.
