SEOUL // The Korean Air executive who delayed a flight in an incident dubbed “nut rage” bowed deep in apology Friday before facing questioning by transport officials. Her father, the airline’s chairman, also apologised and said he regrets he did not raise her better.
The apologies came in response to simmering public anger about the incident and the airline’s handling of it.
Cho Hyun-ah, who was head of cabin service at Korean Air, was angered when a flight attendant in first class offered her macadamia nuts in a bag, not on a plate. She ordered a senior crew member off the plane, forcing it to return to the gate at John F Kennedy airport in New York City.
“I sincerely apologise. I’m sorry,” a gloomy-faced Ms Cho said before droves of journalists in an almost inaudible, trembling voice. She said she will meet with the crew member and “apologise sincerely”.
Dressed in a long black coat, she lowered her face as she made the brief comments without making eye contact. It was her first public appearance since the December 5 incident.
Transport Ministry officials had summoned Ms Cho for questioning over the possibility her actions violated aviation safety law.
Hours before her apology, Korean Air chairman, Cho Yang-ho also, made a deep bow before journalists. He called his daughter’s behaviour foolish and said he regrets he did not raise her better.
“It’s my fault,” he said. “As chairman and father, I ask for the public’s generous forgiveness.”
Cho Hyun-ah’s actions caused uproar in South Korea and abroad. South Korean media called the 40-year-old a princess and some Koreans said she was an international embarrassment to her country.
In a separate probe, prosecutors searched the headquarters of Korean Air Lines on Thursday after a civil society group laid a complaint about her behavior on the plane.
Korean Air Lines had earlier excused her behavior even as it apologized for inconveniencing passengers. The flight bound for South Korea was delayed by 20 minutes due to the incident.
Earlier this week, Ms Cho resigned as Korean Air’s head of cabin service but retained other executive roles at the airline and its affiliated companies. Her father said Friday she is resigning from executive roles at all affiliates of Hanjin, the group that controls Korean Air.
* Associated Press