Bruce Dickinson's aviation company changes its name and opens new facilities

Bruce Dickinson onstage
(Image credit: Star Tribune via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Cardiff Aviation, the company chaired by Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, has changed its name to Caerdav and announced major expansion plans.  

The business, which provides maintenance, repair and and training services for airlines including Atlanta Icelandic, the Royal Malaysian Air Force and British International Helicopters, is to build a training centre in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales.

Caerdav are also constructing a new aircraft paint hangar, enabling the company to provide paint airline livery on craft up to the size of a Boeing 767. 

"There are people who'll tell you it's just like spraying a BMW," says Dickinson.  "It's not just like spraying a BMW. You need people who really know what they're doing. You need the right facilities." 

“With MOBH Group’s backing, we aim to create Europe’s most advanced flight training centre, while expanding our outstanding independent aircraft maintenance operations," said Caerdav chief executive Joachim Jones.

"This is a hugely exciting opportunity for growth and underlines how our team’s commitment and hard work has led to this being the best year in the company’s history – with 2020 now looking even brighter.”

Caerdav's facilities include a 6,000ft runway three miles from Cardiff International airport, and pilot training facilities that include two Sikorsky S61 helicopter simulators and two Boeing 747-400 simulators.

Fraser Lewry

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.