Korean Air's B787-10



By Kim Hyun-bin



A Korean Air pilot who asked for several alcoholic beverages during a flight, was punished later with only a verbal warning from the airline, while the chief flight attendant who reported the incident to the company was stripped of his post.



According to the carrier, Monday, on an Incheon-Amsterdam flight on Dec. 30, the pilot surnamed Kim asked a flight attendant to give him champagne in a paper cup for his welcome drink.



Kim's requests for alcoholic beverages did not stop there. A few hours into the flight, he once again asked the flight attendant to pour him some wine in a paper cup. The attendant told the pilot alcoholic drinks are prohibited during flights and reported this to the chief flight attendant.



The chief flight attendant briefed the co-pilot about the situation and asked him not to discuss the matter with Kim until the plane was on the ground, fearing an argument with the pilot could hinder the safety of the flight. However, the co-pilot did not wait and confronted Kim, who then complained to the chief flight attendant.



After landing in Amsterdam, the chief flight attendant and the co-pilot quarreled over the issue. The chief flight attendant made an official report about the incident to the company soon after.



Following an internal investigation, however, the company gave a verbal warning to Kim, and the chief flight attendant was demoted to a regular flight attendant.



"Kim continued to deny that he requested an alcoholic drink, and regardless of whether he requested it or not, he did not consume any alcoholic drinks," a Korean Air official said. "And the chief flight attendant was stripped of his post as he used abusive language toward the co-pilot during their heated argument."



The incident was not reported to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which is in charge of inspecting and managing airlines, raising suspicion the carrier tried to cover up the incident.



By law, operating an aircraft under the influence of alcohol could be punishable with up to three years in prison.



