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SOUTH KOREA. Korean Air has turned in another outstanding retail performance with 2014 sales expected to close at around US$190 million, making it once again the world’s leading inflight retailer.
However the good news has been tempered by the resignation last week of Heather Cho (pictured), Senior Vice President, Catering & In-Flight Sales Business Division, the inspiration and driving force behind the airline’s travel retail success of recent years.
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Ms Cho was involved in a well-publicised incident onboard a Korean Air flight at New York JFK Airport on 5 December. Upset that she had been offered Macadamia nuts in a packet instead of on a plate as the plane was taxiing to the runway, Ms Cho demanded that the aircraft return to the terminal to offload cabin manager Park Chang Jin.
The incident has led to enormous controversy in South Korea.
COMMENT: Heather Cho has been the most influential figure in inflight retailing for several years, driving Korean Air to a near US$200 million business and one built on a dedication to excellence arguably unrivalled in the business. Inflight retail magazine Sky Shop, produced monthly in tri-lingual format, has consistently set the benchmark for onboard duty free brochures and the airline’s e-Commerce shopping site CyberSkyShop.com is also among the industry’s best.
In an age when inflight shopping has often been seen as travel retail’s poor relation, Ms Cho has time and again raised the standard of Korean Air’s (and therefore the sector’s) operations to new heights. The incident in New York, driven by her relentless insistence on 100% professionalism, is highly unfortunate, with the public fall-out heightened by the current raging anti-chaebol (conglomerate) mood in the country.
It is to be hoped that Ms Cho’s formal apology to the crew involved and her clear regret over the incident will eventually pave the way for her return to executive duty. Inflight retail is much the poorer for her absence.
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