Iron Maiden singer sets up aviation company

The Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson is looking to bring thousands of tons of heavy metal and up to 1,000 new jobs to South Wales.

Mr Dickinson, a commercial airline pilot and established aviation entrepreneur, has set up Cardiff Aviation Limited, which will provide specialist services to the airline industry. The business will be based at St Athan Enterprise Zone in the Vale of Glamorgan, where it has leased 132,000 square feet of hangar space from the Welsh government.

It is expected the first clients will be announced later this month, and the first Boeing 747 simulator has been purchased and is due for delivery in June.

Mr Dickinson, whose band were the subject of the documentary film Flight 666, said: "A cautious projection is that we'd expect to create up to a thousand jobs within 18 months based on the level of interest and commitment from aircraft manufacturers and operators.

"South Wales has long had an association with the aircraft industry and I am delighted I am able to play a small part in the continuation of that tradition."

As well as providing maintenance for aircraft up to Boeing 767 size, the company will offer training packages and technical support services.