Heather Cho, the former executive of Korean Air, has been found guilty of breaking aviation law following the so-called ‘nut rage’ case.

She will serve one year in jail following the incident, but avoided the maximum ten year penalty possible.

Cho was found guilty of obstructing aviation safety after she had forced her Seoul-bound plane to turn back to the gate and offload the chief steward.

She was unhappy at the way she had been served nuts, complaining she had not asked for them and that they were still in a packet, not a bowl.

Witnesses also suggest she struck the steward with a safety manual.

“This is a case where human dignity was trampled upon,” Judge Oh Sung-woo said, adding Cho had treated the flight “as if it was her own private plane”.

The judge added Cho had failed to show sufficient remorse even after she submitted letters to the court apologising for the incident.