Attendant: ‘Nut rage’ exec cursed and shoved over service

The flight attendant who served the offending macadamia nuts testified that she and the chief flight attendant knelt before Heather Cho, the former vice president at Korean Air, and the daughter of the airline’s chairman in apology.

The former executive also shoved her, threw a tablet to her chest and called her a pejorative term for female dog after becoming angry over the service, Kim Do Hee, the flight attendant testified in court Friday.

Cho, a former executive for South Korea’s biggest airline faces charges, after she ordered an international flight back to the gate at New York’s JFK airport after becoming dissatisfied that her macadamia nuts were served in a bag instead of on a plate in first class.

Prosecutors say that the incident, dubbed “nut rage” extends beyond Cho’s behavior, but also to an attempt to systematically cover up what happened on the flight. Kim testified that Korean Air told her to lie about what happened to investigators and not to talk about the violence.

An arrest warrant for Cho was approved earlier this month on charges of violating aviation safety rules, including a change in a flight plan, assault on a plane, coercion and interference in the execution of duty.

The airline faces possible disciplinary action from the government because of the captain’s failure to command and supervise crew members to ensure the safe operation of the flight, according to the ministry.

CNN’s Paula Hancocks contributed to this report from Seoul, South Korea.

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