UK regional airline Loganair’s Executive Chairman Peter Simpson has been named as acting CEO.

The news came as current CEO Jonathan Hinkles announced his immediate resignation on LinkedIn a week ago.

Simpson has almost 40 years of experience in aviation, having started as a Finance Controller for Manx Airlines in his native Isle of Man in 1985.

He has also previously been MD at BA Citiflyer as well as British Midland International and between 2013 and 2015 was Director of BA at Gatwick Airport.

READ: Loganair retires final Saab 340

Apart from acting CEO, Simpson is currently Group CEO for Airline Investments Ltd., the parent company of both BMI Regional and Loganair.

In his statement on LinkedIn, outgoing CEO Jonathan Hinkles said: “I’ve always thought that when the curtain falls, it is best to leave the  stage right away”.

“After seven and a half years – a tenure longer than any other UK airline CEO bar one and also one of the longer-serving CEOs in Loganair’s proud 62-year history – it’s time for a change, just as much for me as it is for Loganair. It serves no-one well for there to be a prolonged period of farewells, uncertainty and indecision in leadership. With all that in mind, I left the building for the final time a few hours ago”.