Former Korean Air SVP of Inflight Service Heather Cho has been detained after a Seoul Western District Court accused the airline of a cover up.

This relates to the widely-publicised incident on December 5 where Cho, 40, ordered the pilot of Korean Air flight KE086 bound for Incheon Airport to return to the departure gate at New York JFK after it had only just pushed back to leave.

As has been well documented, Cho objected to the actions of a junior flight attendant who served her with a ‘packet’ of macadamia nuts at her first class seat – but not in a dish. She then took major heated and loud vocal issue with the Senior Steward, Park Chang-jin, who she ordered to leave the aircraft after it returned to the gate [as was well documented by TRBusiness.com at the time: http://www.trbusiness.com/index.php/regional/asia/16494-heather-cho-resigns-at-korean-air.html]

Almost immediately, the whole incident went viral on social media throughout South Korea and beyond, with Cho subsequently agreeing to resign all of her positions at Korean Air. In a brief televised statement she also apologised for her actions relating to treatment of the cabin crew manager and also for her ‘order’ that the plane should return to the gate to allow him to leave the aircraft. [She also subsequently visited two crew member’s houses in an attempt to personally apologise, but was unsuccessful-Ed].

Cho’s public humiliation was rapidly followed by a desperate attempt by her father – Korean Air Chairman and CEO and Chairman of the Hanjin Group, Cho Yang-ho – to try and take the worst of the sting out of the issue.

 

Former Korean Air Senior Vice President of Inflight Service Heather Cho is credited with building Korean Air’s inflight duty free business to levels unseen by any other international carrier. KAL’s sales target last year was ‘approximately $200m’, according to TRBusiness.com’s last interview with its Inflight Sales Team, while total sales in 2012 reached $199m – a 3% decline on 2011.

 

PUBLIC CONDEMNATION OF THE INCIDENT…
He faced the cameras and press to issue his own public apology where he tried to shoulder the blame for his daughter’s actions, but it was too late by then, following widespread public condemnation of the incident.

The matter was already under investigation by South Korea’s Transport Ministry and Cho is now expected to face charges of breaching regulations by ordering the A380 aircraft to return to the gate at New York JFK under aviation safety law. She could also be charged with breaking privacy protection laws and assault.

The investigation has also taken on an even more embarrassing twist for all concerned, with the Transport Ministry now investigating whether information related to the incident may have been leaked by its own employees directly to Korean Air officials.

This has already led to disciplinary action against some Ministry employees and the reported arrest of one Ministry individual. Investigations are also continuing as to whether Korean Air employees engaged in any initial cover up activities when the issue first became public. One senior Korean Air manager has already been arrested in connection with such allegations.

Last, but certainly not least, South Korea’s Transport Ministry may finally decide to impose formal commercial penalties on Korean Air for the incident.

[Click here to see CNN’s December 12 news broadcast of both brief press conferences involving Heather Cho and her father, Korean Air Chairman and CEO and Chairman of the Hanjin Group, Cho Yang-ho: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2014/12/12/lok-stout-korea-air-nutgate-executive-resigns.cnn.html]