The Korean Transport Ministry is set to investigate Korean Air for the airline brouhaha that delayed the arrival of the passengers to its destination.

Korean Air and its VP, Heather Cho, will be investigated on whether they compromised the safety of the airlines and its passengers when Cho ordered a chief flight attendant to disembark while the plane was taxiing on the runway.

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The Korean Air  flight  was forced to return to the gate after its Vice President, the airline CEO's daughter,  Cho Hyun Ah,also known as Heather Cho, 40, threw a fit and kicked out  of the plane the chief flight attendant after serving Macadamia nuts to the passengers in the first class section.

The flight from New York to Seoul was dramatically delayed after a flight attendant served the bagged nuts as an in-flight snack to Vice President Cho while the plane was taxiing on the runway.

Reports said Cho, who was responsible for monitoring in-flight experiences in the family-run flag carrier, said she took exception to the bagged Macadamia nuts which was not served on a plate.

Reports also said that Ms. Cho went nuts over the nuts after the flight attendant did not follow correctly the airline's manual to ask first the passengers if they wanted nuts to avoid causing allergies to those who were prone to it.

The airline reports said Ms. Cho has reprimanded the chief flight attendant who, she said, was responsible for not following the airline service manual and he was then ordered to leave the plane.

The plane then returned to the gate of the John F. Kennedy airport in New York causing the delay in the plane's arrival.

The incident sparked a barrage of public criticisms hurled against Cho  with the Ministry of Transport saying it would conduct investigation to determine if Cho violated airline safety regulations.

Cho will also be accountable should she be found to have interrupted the flight by using threat, her position or influence.

The Transport Ministry said it will take the necessary actions against the air carrier if it will be found to have violated airline regulations.

Seoul opposition leaders said Cho "acted inappropriately" and failed to protect the  image of the country's air carrier.

'She soiled the reputation of our flag carrier,' "Why did she have to make a fuss over some stupid macadamia nuts,?' were some of the lament of the opposition party, The New Politics Alliance For Democracy, based in Seoul.

Reports said the spokesman for the Korean Air had defended Cho's actions and said Cho made the decision to disembark the chief flight attendant who, she ruled, failed to ensure the safety of the 250 passengers in a 13-hour flight to Seoul.

TagsKorean Air, Heather Cho, JFK, Seoul