AN "adopted geordie", who turned his back on the family food business in Liverpool for an airline career in Newcastle, has been rewarded with promotion to the board.

Captain Simon Rawcliffe, 42, has been made director of flight operations with Gill Airways, just as it prepares for refinancing, with the launch of new routes.

Cpt Rawcliffe graduated from Oriel College, Oxford, with a degree in politics, philosophy and economics, and sold his house nine years ago to follow his dream of gaining his commercial pilot's licence.

He joined Gill and was stationed at Wick in north Scotland, then Aberdeen.

He moved to Newcastle in 1993 and was one of the airline's first pilots to train on the new ATR passenger aircraft.

He was promoted to captain in 1995 and earned a management position the following year, before promotion to chief pilot in 1997.

Cpt Rawcliffe will be responsible for all aspects of safety, training and the commercial side of flight operations. He said: "There has always been a huge potential at Gill and I feel more confident than ever about the future here."

Moving in is Judith Jackson, the airline's new customer relations executive, who joins Gill after a career break. She was previously marketing operations manager with Magnet plc.