THE lead singer of heavy metal legends Iron Maiden launched his new aircraft maintenance business at St Athan this week – with the hope that the site could provide up to 1,000 jobs over the next 18 months.

Bruce Dickinson, who aside from his global band commitments is a commercial airline pilot and established aviation entrepreneur, hopes that his company – Cardiff Aviation Limited – will bring job opportunities for skilled workers in the area as well as creating apprenticeships and training opportunities.

Cardiff Aviation Ltd has taken a lease on the Welsh Government-owned 132,000sq ft Twin Peaks hangar at St Athan, to establish a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operation.

As well as working on airliners and other large aircraft for several major and independent airlines, Cardiff Aviation Ltd will have facilities to complete the full range of ancillary aircraft maintenance and training activities.

St Athan was recently granted Enterprise Zone status and it is hoped that the new partnership between the aviation business and the Welsh Assembly Government will be a success.

Bruce, who qualified as a commercial pilot over 20 years ago, is optimistic that the site will be a boost for employment in the area.

"We hope that the people who were working here before, on the VC10 with the Defence Support Group, will work with us," he said.

"Phase Two will be taking people on and training them up with apprenticeships. And whilst employing young people is desirable, we are also looking at including older members of the workforce who have skills to offer."

His fellow investors are all established aviation professionals who, he said, had been attracted to St Athan by the facilities.

And Bruce sid they hope to expand in the future.

"In five or six years time, if we are absolutely rammed and have aircraft practically everywhere, then we might be able to talk about the other hangars here," he added.

"If this goes off like a rocket then we are looking at five aircraft each in these hangars. Realistically we are talking between 250 and 1,000 employess, the scale is as big at that."

Business Minister Edwina Hart said: "I am particularly pleased to hear the company is keen to take on skilled mechanics previously employed by the Defence Support Group, create hundreds of highly skilled engineering jobs and also plans to establish an on-going apprenticeship programme as the business grows.

"This is exactly the type of investment needed – bringing money into the local economy while also providing an international promotion for St Athan Aerospace Business Park and the Aviation Enterprise Zone."

Vale MP Alun Cairns and AM Jane Hutt both welcomed the news.

Bruce, 53, added: "As an established base, it has all the facilities necessary for the enterprise, including a runway 6,000 feet in length with a Cat 1 DME ILS, meaning it can cope with practically any size of commercial aircraft including wide-bodied airliners.

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

In 2008 Bruce flew a plane back to the UK from Sharm El Sheikh, when thousands of passengers were left stranded abroad following the collapse of tour operator XL.

He added that he was still focused on his Iron Maiden career, with the band set to jet off to America at the beginning of June.

"I’m not going to stop singing!" he said.