Latest Blog Post Pick-ups

The good folks at The Japan Daily have picked up several blog posts from yesterday for sharing with their readers.

They include:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

Nut Rage Proves Costly For Korean Air Heiress

Above, Cho Hyun Ah. Associated Press photo.

The former executive of Korean Air who flew into a rage over how she was served macadamia nuts has received her sentence in a court in Seoul.

According to The Japan News:

SEOUL (AP) — A Seoul court on Thursday sentenced a former Korean Air executive to a year in prison for aviation law violations that stemmed from her inflight tantrum over how she was served macadamia nuts. 

Cho Hyun Ah, the 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. 

Head of cabin service at the time of the incident, Cho was angered she had been offered macadamia nuts in a bag instead of in a dish. A heated and physical confrontation with members of the crew in first class ensued.

I tend to feel the sentence was a little on the harsh side. I would think a sentence of 3 to 6 months in jail would've been sufficient. I have flown on Korean Air several times to Japan and found their service to be very good.

To read more, go here.

Former Korean Air Exec Arrested Over Nut Rage

Above, Cho Hyun-ah is surrounded by reporters at the prosecutor's office. AP Photo.

It finally happened. The former vice-president (and daughter of the company chairman) of Korean Air was arrested yesterday for flying off the handle over the way macadamia nuts were served on a flight from New York to South Korea.

According to Asahi Shimbun:

SEOUL--Prosecutors here on Dec. 30 arrested a former Korean Air Lines executive who flew into a rage over a serving of macadamia nuts and forced a plane to return to the boarding gate. 

Cho Hyun-ah, the 40-year-old daughter of Korean Air’s chairman, is accused of violating aviation security laws. 

The Seoul Western Prosecutors’ Office also arrested a Korean Air executive for allegedly covering up evidence of the incident and other charges.

Cho's actions are believed "to have jeopardized in-flight orders and safety at the airport," according to the article. She apologized to reporters at the prosecutor's office.

To read more, go here.

Korean Air Ex-V.P. and Current Executive Facing Prosecutors Over Nut Incident

Above, a Korean Air Boeing 777. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back on December 10, I blogged about the news story of the vice-president (and daughter of the company chairman) of Korean Air who went, uh, nuts over the way a flight attendant served macadamia nuts. Cho Hyun Ah demanded that the plane return to the airport gate and a member of the flight crew removed from the flight.

Well, it appears that the nut scandal has deepened.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reported:

SEOUL (AP) — South Korean prosecutors are seeking to arrest the former executive at Korean Air Lines Co. who forced a flight to return over a bag of macadamia nuts and a current executive for attempts to cover up the “nut rage” case. 

Seoul Western Prosecutors’ Office said Wednesday that Cho Hyun Ah faces charges including inflight violence and changing a flight route. The current airline executive, a 57-year-old man surnamed Yeo, faces charges of pressuring airline employees to cover up the incident, according to an official at the prosecutors’ office who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter. 

Cho, the daughter of the Korean Air chairman, earlier this month resigned as vice president at the airline and all roles from the airline’s affiliates as public outrage mounted over her behavior. 

The incident occurred on December 5 aboard a Korean Air flight from the United States that was bound for South Korea. I have flown on Korean Air several times to Japan.

To read more, go here. 

Korean Air V.P. Goes Nuts Over...Nuts!

Above, a Korean Air jet that I flew to Japan on. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A little incident is making the rounds on the Internet. 

This involves Cho Hyun-ah, the vice-president of Korean Air (who also happens to be the daughter of the owner of the airline) who had a public meltdown over how she was served macadamia nuts December 5.

According to Rocket News 24:

After boarding, but prior to taking off, Cho was served a pack of macadamia nuts by a cabin attendant. Media reports differ as to whether or not the crew member had asked the vice president before serving her, but what is known is that the nuts were served in their package, instead of being placed in a dish or on a tray. 

Cho took issue with this, and in this regard, may not have been so far out of line. Among her many responsibilities with Korean Air, she’s in charge of in-cabin service, so technically these little details, especially in the first class section, fall squarely within her jurisdiction. That veneer of professionalism soon cracked, though, as instead of calmly addressing the perceived problem, the 40-year-old Cho launched into a tirade more appropriate for a toddler one-tenth her age.

Cho began screaming and demanded that she be removed from the flight (this all happened at JFK International Airport in New York).

It has been reported that Cho has since resigned her in-cabin service position.

I have flown on Korean Air several times to Japan and found their service and food to be very good.

To read more, go here.