Iron Maiden’s Lead Pilot

Being a singer, songwriter, airline pilot, champion fencer, author, actor, marketing director and the brains behind a new aviation centre in the UK would be enough to keep most people busy. But Bruce Dickinson really isn’t like most people. He also happens to be the front man of the world’s biggest and most successful heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. Fortunately for the economic world business comes naturally to the man formerly known as ‘Bruce Bruce’, and his Iron Maiden fame is certainly not a hindrance in the boardroom. As he explained to Gulf Business, formal business meetings often descend into 80s rock music trivia.

“It happens all the time!” says Bruce. “You have to bear in mind, Iron Maiden fans of a certain generation are now in leading senior positions in many key industries. I’ll be meeting directors, who all look very respectable, to discuss a business matter and we start talking about the music and the albums and tours – it’s quite amusing!”

Despite recently turning fifty years old and still touring and producing albums with rock gods Iron Maiden – their last album, their 15th studio work, reached number one in 28 different countries – Dickinson has recently launched an aviation centre in south Wales; a cross between a spa and MOT centre for aeroplanes.

Formerly a pilot with Astraeus Airlines, Dickinson realised there was a gap in the market for airlines who didn’t have services to repair and renovate their planes – though he admits the Gulf needs no such help with their aircraft.

“We’re targeting Asian airlines initially as in truth, that’s where the growth is. Economically Europe has flat-lined, India hasstalled while they sort out their corruption issues but Asia is still growing. The Middle East doesn’t need help from us to maintain their aircrafts – they’ve got everything to hand!”

To read the full interview with Bruce Dickinson and find out if Iron Maiden will be playing in the region sometime soon, pick up a copy of Gulf Business, out June 3rd.