Debra Barber has been appointed interim managing director of Cardiff Airport.
The appointment comes after chief executive Jon Horne announced he was stepping down next month.
Barber was previously operations director of the airport, which she joined in May 2012 following a career in the Royal Air Force.
"Ms Barber played a leading role in the commercial development and expansion of Basrah International Airport in Iraq," said the airport’s chairman Lord Rowe Beddoe.
"She also had command responsibilities for the military element of the En Route Air Traffic Control Centre at Swanwick in Hampshire, was directly involved in the UK response to the volcanic ash crisis in 2010, and represented the military air traffic management organisation during preparations for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Barber said the priority is to ‘return the business to its previous level of success and beyond, focusing on increasing passenger numbers and enhancing the number of destinations on offer’.
"We want the people of Wales to be proud of their airport and for them, along with visitors to our country, to have a wonderful experience when using it."
