Cho Hyun-ah (C), also known as Heather Cho, daughter of chairman of Korean Air Lines, Cho Yang-ho, leaves for a detention facility after a court ordered her to be detained, at the Seoul Western District Prosecutor?s office December 30, 2014. South Korean
Cho Hyun-ah (C), also known as Heather Cho, daughter of chairman of Korean Air Lines, Cho Yang-ho, leaves for a detention facility after a court ordered her to be detained, at the Seoul Western District Prosecutor?s office December 30, 2014. South Korean prosecutors requested on Wednesday a detention warrant for a former Korean Air Lines executive who delayed a flight because she was unhappy about how she was served nuts in first class. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji (SOUTH KOREA - Tags: TRANSPORT CRIME LAW BUSINESS)

Seoul Western District Court Judge Oh Sung-Woo decided on Thursday that fore Korean Air Vice President Heather Cho is guilty of violating air safety regulations. He sentenced her to one year prison term.

The judge found her six letters of apology insincere and said, “I wonder whether she really thinks she was wrong,” quotes Korean Times.

Cho was VP of the company for in-flight service when she threw a tantrum on Dec 5 while because she was served macadamia nuts in a plastic bag, instead of on plate. It happened on a flight from New York to Seoul.

She ordered the chief purser, Park Chang-jin, to leave the plane even if it was already on the runway and about to take off. It delayed the departure and arrival of the plane. Korean criticised the daughter of the Korean Air chairman for her bratty behaviour, which led to her resignation from the air carrier.

“This is a case where human dignity was trampled upon,” quotes Daily Times, referring to Cho’s berating the purser and a stewardess and even throwing a tablet at them. The two, during their testimony, described her attitude as treating airline employees like slaves.

Cho’s lawyer, Suh Chang-hee, said he would discuss with her if they would appeal the court’s ruling.

Cho was not found guilty of the second charge of using her position to obstruct due process, but another Korean Air executive, Yeo Woon-jin, was convicted of interfering in the government probe of the incident by attempting to cover up the incident and destroying evidence and sentenced him eight months prison term.

The prosecution sought three years prison term for Cho, but the judge took into account it is her first offence, she has 20-month-old twin boys and Korean Air guaranteed that the cabin crew would not be punished for testifying in court and would keep their jobs.

The case has also caused a spike in demand in South Korea for macadamia nuts, which would likely be stricken off the air carrier’s menu and which Cho would probably never munch on again for the rest of her life. She would also likely never go again on an air rage.

To contact the writer, email: v.hernandez@ibtimes.com.au