Australian teenager becomes youngest person to fly solo around the world in a single aircraft

Lachlan Smart beat the previous record by almost a year

Lachlan Smart travelled 24,000 nautical miles (PA)

An Australian teenager has become the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a single aircraft.

Lachlan Smart, who is 18 years, seven months and 21 days, beat the previous record holder Matt Guthmiller, who was 19 years, seven months and 15 days old, by almost an entire year.

Mr Smart touched down in 24 locations across 15 countries on his way to breaking the Guinness world record. He landed along the Sunshine Coast at Maroochydore Airport on Saturday, having departed from the same airstrip on 4 July.

“The support I have received from family, friends, the local Sunshine Coast council and community and people around the world that I have never even met has been incredible from the first moment we spoke about this journey,” Mr Smart said

“I have always, for as long as I can remember, wanted to inspire others, particularly young people, to chase their dreams,” he added.

The journey was not without difficulty and Mr Smart faced some difficulties with air traffic control when flying through Indonesia, the Daily Mail reported.

“They would have run me into a mountain if I had gone with their instructions," he said after touching down at the end of his 54 day journey.

Mr Smart travelled more than 24,000 nautical miles on his record-breaking journey.