Darren Lewington is stepping down as operations director at Gloucestershire Airport at the end of the month.

Mr Lewington has been at the airport for 24 years, including 17 years in management and board positions.

He said: "I have decided that the time is right for me to leave Gloucestershire Airport. With the full support of the board of directors, I'll step down from my post as operations director at the end of January.

"I'll be pursuing a number of other activities, including my business venture, Aerotiques, my volunteer activities with the Jet Age Museum and fly2help, and also undertaking aviation consultancy and ATC training.

"As most of my social life and leisure activities revolve around aviation too, I'll still very much be around the airport and I'm very keen to stay in touch."

He added: "I leave at a point when the airport is on the verge of great things. I am immensely proud of what the teams I have been privileged to work with have achieved in making Staverton the busiest and best GA (general aviation) airfield in the UK.

"The airport has been my life for the last two decades; I'm lucky to be able to consider many of you as friends rather than merely clients, tenants and business contacts. There have been ups and downs but I will always look back fondly on my time here and look forward to watching the airport develop further."