Flight attendant scalds model’s private parts with hot meal; Asiana Airlines ordered to pay NT$3.5 million in compensation

With ongoing discussions about flight attendant fatigue, service mishaps on flights can certainly cost airlines dearly. In 2014, aboard a flight from Incheon, South Korea, to Paris, France, a flight attendant accidentally scalded a model with hot food, causing multiple burns. The Seoul court ruled that Asiana Airlines must compensate the model 110 million KRW (approximately NT$3.5 million).

According to a report by the UK’s The Sun, the model, surnamed Zhang, filed a lawsuit against the airline, claiming that in 2014 while traveling in business class with Asiana Airlines, she suffered burns to multiple parts of her body when a flight attendant accidentally spilled hot soup from a serving of instant noodles. The burns affected her abdomen, private parts, and thighs.

Due to the incident, she underwent multiple surgeries and skin grafts but still did not fully recover. The accident also severely impacted her life with her husband and increased her risk of pregnancy complications.

Zhang expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the cabin crew failed to respond properly at the time of the injury. They only applied ice packs, simple burn ointment, and provided painkillers to ease the discomfort until the plane landed in Paris.

Asiana Airlines argued that the accident occurred because the model had touched the tray holding the noodles. At the time of the incident, the crew followed the procedures instructed by the onboard doctor to treat the injured passenger. The district court issued its ruling last Wednesday, ordering Asiana Airlines to pay the woman 110 million KRW in compensation.