17-year-old Mack Rutherford circumnavigated the globe in five months after departing from Sofia, Bulgaria on March 23 of this year.

A British-Belgian teenager has become the youngest person to complete a solo circumnavigation of the globe.

17-year-old Mack Rutherford took out from Sofia, Bulgaria on March 23, 2018, and flew through Italy and Greece before traversing Asia, Africa, the United States, and two seas.

Wednesday marked the return of the aviator to the Bulgarian capital, five months after he began his journey.

He surpassed the 18-year-old Travis Ludlow’s Guinness World Record, which he set in 2021 at the age of 18 and 150 days.

Mack was inspired by his 19-year-old sister Zara, who became the youngest woman to fly around the world in January.

He piloted a Shark ultralight aircraft, which has a maximum cruise speed of 300 km/h (186mph).

Speaking to reporters in Bulgaria, he said: “Just follow your ambitions, regardless of your age.

“Work diligently and go forward to reach your objectives.”

His trip began on March 23 and has seen sandstorms in Sudan, intense temperatures in Dubai, and airport shutdown in India.

Before his journey, he stated that flying has always been a “dream” for him and his sister, following in the footsteps of their mother and father, who are both skilled pilots.

“When you’re in the air and everything appears so tiny, you can travel wherever you want.

I’ve always admired its extraordinary quality.

Mack, who received his pilot’s license in July 2020 at the age of 15 years and two weeks – the youngest pilot in the world at the time – maintained he is not attempting to outdo his sister and instead views her as an inspiration.