South Korean prosecutors have recommended three years in prison for the former Korean Air executive charged with endangering flight safety after an in-flight tantrum over how she was served macadamia nuts.

A former Korean Air Lines executive has been arrested for allegedly endangering flight safety by delaying a plane because her macadamia nuts were not served the way she wanted.

Korean Air Lines will face penalties for pressuring staff to lie during a government probe into the "nut rage" incident.

A Korean Air flight attendant has described being insulted and shamed by the airline's executive who ordered him to be removed and the plane returned over macadamia nuts, and then being asked to lie about the incident to investigators.