Cardiff Airport chief executive Jon Horne will stand down from September 1.
He will remain available to the Board as an advisor.
A statement said Horne had ‘agreed with the chairman’ that a new perspective was required for the airport’s development.
Lord Rowe-Beddoe, chairman of Cardiff International Airport Ltd, said: "Jon has very successfully steered the airport through the first phase of our path to re-establishing its fortunes.
"This includes halting the decline in passenger numbers, establishing good and improving customer service and overseeing the physical transformation of the terminal as well as securing CityJet and the return of Ryanair to the airport."
Horne added: "I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that I have had to work with the great team at Cardiff Airport who have delivered very positive and significant change in a short space of time and it is a great credit to them.
"There is still much work to be done, but I have agreed with the chairman that a new perspective will be beneficial for the next stage of development and as such I have concluded my executive involvement."
