UPDATE: Dec. 9 at 7:11 a.m. ET

It seems even airline executives are not immune to losing their cool on an airplane.

Cho Hyun-ah, Korean Air Lines' vice president in charge of in-flight experience, was on the runway at John F. Kennedy airport in New York City on a flight headed to Incheon, South Korea, when a junior flight attendant served Cho bagged macadamia nuts in first class.

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But it turns out, first-class etiquette demands that macadamia nuts be served on a plate, not in a bag. So Cho, who is also daughter of the airline's chairman, called over the head flight attendant. When that attendant failed to get out the proper manual for flight service, Cho shouted, according to witnesses. She then had the flight return to the gate and ordered him off the plane.

Flight KE086 departed the airport in New York 20 minutes late, arriving at Incheon about 11 minutes late.

Korean Air Lines apologized Monday for inconveniencing passengers due to the debacle over bagged nuts. Although the company said it was "natural" for Cho to fault crew's ignorance of procedures, the airline said Tuesday that Cho is resigning.

South Korea's government said it is investigating whether Cho violated aviation safety law.

"If the investigation finds any violations, the necessary action will be taken against the air carrier," an official from the Transportation Ministry said.

Cho did not have the authority to return the plane to the gate because she was a passenger, according to The Korea Times.

“We must review related laws as this incident is unprecedented,” the official told reporters. “Even if she is the vice-president of the airline, she was one of [many] passengers and should have been treated as such."

Additional reporting by the Associated Press