A former Korean Air Lines executive who delayed a flight over the improper service of macadamia nuts has been found guilty Thursday of breaking aviation law.
Heather Cho, who was the airline's former vice-president and head of in-flight services, forced a plane to turn around and return to the gate at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to offload the chief attendant because the macadamia nuts she was served were given to her in a bag, not a bowl.
A court in Seoul sentenced her to a year in prison.
Cho, whose father is the chairman of Korean Air Lines, apologized after the incident. Her father, Cho Yang-ho also apologized, saying he had failed to raise her properly.
The former exec, who has been in custody since Dec. 30, had said she did not realize the chief flight attendant had law enforcement authority during the flight and that ordering him off the plane was consequently a risk to safety. Cho said the "final call" about returning to the gate was made by the captain.
"I think this case happened because of devotion to my work and because I could not be considerate to other people," Cho told.