FARNBOROUGH, England—Bruce Dickinson has spent his life singing in the rock band Iron Maiden. Now, the frontman is working on an altogether different type of metal: airplanes.

Mr. Dickinson just finished a three-year world tour with his legendary metal band, but he's also been a pilot for 25 years, and is now focusing on a new solo act: He set up last year a company that mixes airline leasing, plane maintenance and pilot training—all in the Welsh valleys.

The business, Cardiff Aviation, plans to build an airline fleet of up to 10 aircraft within a few years and fill a market niche from its 132,000-square-foot hangar in St. Athan, Wales, Mr. Dickinson says.

Having clocked more than 7,000 hours flying time working part time as an airline pilot for British World Airlines and Astraeus Airlines, Mr. Dickinson also occasionally flew his band around the world for gigs. In 2008, Iron Maiden decorated an Astraeus Boeing Co. 757 in their own branded livery and flew it on a world tour.

At Cardiff Aviation's hangar, he sells maintenance and repair services to aircraft-leasing companies and airlines. The facility can work on all Boeing and Airbus Group NV narrow-body jets.