A 19-year-old, who studied in Winchester, has become the youngest woman to fly solo around the world.

Zara Rutherford, who studied at St Swithun's School, landed at Kortrijk-Wevelgem airport in Belgium, accompanied by four planes from the Belgian Red Devils aerobatic display team.

The teenager, who has both British and Belgian nationality, was greeted by family and friends, who cheered as she arrived in her Shark Ultralight, the world's fastest light sport aircraft.

She then posed for photos, holding a Union and a Belgian flag.

The plane's spare seat had been removed to accommodate an extra fuel tank and to avoid any questions about another person flying with her.

Miss Rutherford set off in August for the trip, which was aimed at breaking the records for the youngest woman to circumnavigate the globe solo and the youngest person to do so in a microlight aircraft.

She previously studied at St Swithun's School in Winchester, Hampshire, and the solo trip was her gap year project before she goes to university, where she plans to study computer science or computer engineering, with the long-term ambition of becoming an astronaut.

Prior to her departure, she told the PA news agency: “At first I was planning to fly around the world as an adventure during my gap year, not realising I would become the youngest woman to do so if I achieved it.

“It was only when I started researching more that I noticed I could be the first Belgian and the youngest woman to solo circumnavigate the globe.

“I'm hoping to get more girls interested in aviation.”

Headmistress of St Swithun’s Jane Gandee said: “Seeing Zara’s interview in Germany with just one day to go really brought home to me the magnitude of her achievement. She spoke of fearing for her life on occasion as she negotiated thunder storms, forest fires and extreme cold. 

“Her resilience and flexibility have been extraordinary over the last five months, and so too is her commitment to encouraging other young women to consider aviation or STEM as career paths. Zara is an exceptional role model who I am sure has single-handedly inspired a generation.”

The route took her through the UK, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the US and Latin America to Colombia, then back north via Alaska to Russia, China, Indonesia, India and the Middle East before ending in Belgium.

The previous female record-holder was American Shaesta Waiz, who was 30 at the time of her circumnavigation in 2017, while the youngest male record-holder is 18.