Iron Maiden touring in Icelandic jet
The Iron Maiden jumbo. Photo: Air Atlanta
World-famous heavy metal band Iron Maiden jet off tomorrow on the first leg of their Book of Souls world tour – in a jumbo leased from Icelandic airline Air Atlanta.
The Boeing 747 jet has been painted with the band’s name and tour destinations, while Iron Maiden’s famous ‘Eddie the Head’ mascot adorns the vertical tail.
“This is going to be an exciting adventure,” says Air Atlanta Marketing Director Baldvin Hermannsson. “We have been working on this behind the scenes for almost five months.”
Bruce Dickinson, lead vocalist of the band, will be flying the jumbo himself. He is a qualified airline pilot who once flew for now-defunct Icelandic airline Iceland Express. He has undergone special training at Air Atlanta to fly the Boeing 747.
The plane has been configured to carry the 70-130 people involved in the tour, as well as all the band’s equipment. The upper deck will be reserved exclusively for band members and is kitted out with flat-bed passenger seats.
“There is clearly a market for such services and this aircraft will offer exciting possibilities in the future,” says Hermannsson.
The Iron Maiden tour will last for almost five months and gets underway in Fort Lauderdale, USA, on 24 February.
The Book of Souls tour destinations. Photo: Atlanta
Eddie the Head.
Bruce Dickinson. Photo: Þorkell Þorkelsson
