Korean Air nut rage sparks chaebol backlash
Reported by Song Jung-a in Seoul, The Financial Times, 12/09/14
The daughter of Korean Air’s chairman
has resigned from the family-run airline after causing a public uproar by
delaying a flight because she was angry at the way she had been served
macadamia nuts.
Cho Hyun-ah, vice-president of
the national carrier, ordered the aircraft back to the New York terminal as it
prepared for take-off for the removal of a flight attendant who had served the
nuts in a paper bag rather than a plate.
Cho Yang-ho accepted his eldest
daughter's resignation after chairing a board meeting over the incident as
soon as he arrived in Incheon on Tuesday from an overseas business trip, the
company said.
Korean Air and Ms Cho, who is
in charge of cabin service, apologised. She said her actions were “excessive”
and she would resign from all her posts at the company.
Local media said Ms Cho
screamed at a crew member on the South Korea-bound flight for serving the nuts
in the first-class cabin without asking if she wanted them. She then questioned
the chief flight attendant about service standards and, unsatisfied with his
response, ordered him off the aircraft.
Korean Air said flight KE086, with about
250 passengers aboard, arrived in Incheon 11 minutes late after it had returned
to the terminal at JFK airport to remove the attendant.
The incident caused anger among
South Koreans increasingly uncomfortable about the economic and social
privileges enjoyed by the founding family members of big chaebol business groups. They often wield
undue influence over management of group companies in spite of their small
direct shareholdings.
Korean Air had earlier said it
was “natural” for the executive responsible for cabin services to inspect
operations and point out problems, adding that the chief flight attendant
neglected procedure and regulations.
The decision to remove him had
been made in consultation with the pilot, it said, and the company would
strengthen cabin crew training and customer services.
Korean Air
said the actions of its vice-president, Cho Hyun-ah, were 'excessive'
The airline’s explanation
caused further anger, prompting the pilots’ union at the carrier to say: “Ms
Cho abused her position as a vice-president in the process of returning the
flight. The incident underlines the mindset of the owner family that they can
do whatever they want with the company.”
Lawmakers are also calling for
an investigation. “Ms Cho’s order of a forceful return could be a threat to
passengers’ safety by disabling the pilot,” said Oh Byung-yoon of the
Progressive party and a member of the national assembly’s transportation
subcommittee.
The transport ministry is
investigating Korean Air for possible breaches of aviation safety regulations.
Under South Korean aviation
regulations, an aircraft preparing for take-off should return to the terminal
only if the pilot determines there is an emergency involving the safety of the
aircraft or its passengers. The ministry said it would take action against the
carrier if it violated any regulations.
Email from Kyung Hwa Lee
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