South Korean prosecutors have arrested a former Korean Air Lines Co executive for allegedly endangering flight safety by delaying a plane because her macadamia nuts were not served the way she wanted, officials said on Wednesday.

Cho Hyun-ah, the daughter of the airline's chairman, has faced mounting public anger because she forced the Dec 5 flight to return to its gate in New York to remove a senior flight attendant. She was angry that the nuts were served in a bag, not on a plate, in an incident that has been dubbed "nut rage".

Prosecutors have yet to press criminal charges against Cho, but South Korean law allows authorities to arrest a suspect for up to six months over worries the person could flee or destroy evidence. Seoul Western District Court said such concerns were warranted.