Bruce Dickinson, the singer of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, is growing his already sizable aviation footprint. According to the British news outlet Daily Mail, Dickinson has bought a Boeing 737 and plans to start an airline under the umbrella of VVB Aviation. The company is applying for a license to operate within Europe.
Dickinson has been flying light airplanes since the early 1990s and is the chairman of Europe's Eclipse dealership Aeris Aviation. He has also been involved with heavier airplanes for quite some time. He has flown the band around on tour, worked as a charter and airline pilot and started Cardiff Aviation — a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility - in St. Athan, South Wales, in 2012.
Should the VVB airline take off, so to speak, its headquarters will be co-located with Cardiff Aviation, the Daily Mail said.
Another news outlet called Aviation Wales said the company will not be an airline per se, but an Aircraft Crew Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) operation, which would provide services such as procurement, flight crew and maintenance services to airlines. Aviation Wales also said VVB plans to acquire two additional airplanes by the end of the year.
Get exclusive online content like this delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for our free enewsletter.
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!
Get the latest FLYING stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox