Ed Force One: What happened to Iron Maiden’s Boeing 747?
February 1, 2026
For a brief but unforgettable period in 2016, Iron Maiden’s Boeing 747 “Ed Force One” flying tour bus was a monument to rock, supporting the band’s crew and logistics while becoming part of its mythology.
But even icons have endings. Here’s the story of what happened to Iron Maiden’s Ed Force One 747 when the tour wrapped up.
How the Boeing 747-400 donned Iron Maiden’s stark colours
The Boeing 747-400 registered TF-AAK entered service with Air France in 2003. It was acquired by Air Atlanta Icelandic in 2015, which chartered the aircraft to move Iron Maiden around the world during The Book of Souls tour in 2016.
To aviation enthusiasts, it was instantly recognisable by its distinctive livery and the sheer spectacle of a heavy metal band arriving on their own jumbo jet. To Maiden fans, it was an eye-catching band transport that made for a great show.
The livery not only featured the band’s logo but also its long-running zombie mascot, “Eddie,” on the tail. The interior was also kitted out with Iron Maiden branding. It was all part of the theatrical flourish that defined the band’s identity.
The Boeing 747 that became Iron Maiden’s ‘Trooper’
Iron Maiden were not the first musicians to charter aircraft. But they were among the few to turn the plane itself into a character—part brand asset, part practical solution, and part rolling (or flying) stage set.
The band’s dedicated aircraft concept had already been proven on previous world tours using a Boeing 757, also dubbed Ed Force One, but the 2016 tour demanded more range and capacity than a 757 could provide. The schedule was bigger, the distances longer, and the travelling operation heavier. So the band “upgraded” to a 747-400.
Bruce Dickinson—the band’s frontman and also a professional pilot who actually flew the aircraft for the band—believed the 747’s performance and capacity brought key advantages. It could fly faster and farther, and crucially, it made it easier to carry the band’s equipment without the extensive modifications that had been needed on the 757.
To borrow from one of Iron Maiden’s greatest hits, the light metal Boeing 747 Ed Force One was “The Trooper.” It carried the band, crew, and more than 12 tons of equipment as the tour roared across continents, moving performers, production specialists, technicians, and the physical infrastructure required to deliver a consistent heavy metal show night after night.
For a band like Iron Maiden—whose live performances are built on scale, precision, and theatre—the Boeing 747 became a jumbo mobile headquarters.
The Santiago tug collision that tested Iron Maiden’s ‘Empire of the Clouds’
Ed Force One’s Book of Souls tour was not without incident. In March 2016, the aircraft was damaged during ground handling in Santiago, Chile, after colliding with a tug while being towed. The crash damaged the undercarriage and engines.
For any operator, an accident involving a widebody on the ground is an operational headache. For a touring band running on tight dates and venue contracts, it’s a near-worst-case scenario.
As the BBC reported, the 747 was repaired in a well-coordinated recovery effort. Two new engines and other parts required flew from Germany and Saudi Arabia to Santiago to complete the repairs, and the fully repaired aircraft met the band in Brazil ten days later to continue the tour.
“The speed and thoroughness of this incredibly complex operation was stunning and we are so very pleased to get our plane back!” Bruce Dickinson told the BBC at the time.
‘Coming Home’: Iron Maiden’s Boeing 747 returns to commercial service
When the Book of Souls tour ended, the Boeing 747 returned to its day job. The aircraft remained owned and operated by Air Atlanta Icelandic, a specialist charter and ACMI (wet-lease) carrier that has long supplied capacity to airlines needing additional lift during peak periods.
In that world, aircraft often serve multiple identities. One year, they may operate as a charter for a sports team or tour, and another year, they may fly for an airline that needs temporary capacity on high-demand routes.
After serving as Iron Maiden’s Ed Force One, TF-AAK was stripped of its band identity and flew for Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia).
It was retired from service in April of 2022. While the aircraft’s post-tour life was less glamorous, it was the kind of work the 21.3-year-old Queen of the Skies spent its lifetime doing: moving large volumes of people and goods efficiently over long distances.
The same airframe that inspired fan photos, headlines, and music-world awe had a quiet retirement and was ultimately scrapped at Cotswold Airport in July 2024.
The Iron Maiden Boeing 747 goes from rock icon to memorabilia
During its short tour life, Iron Maiden’s Boeing 747 Ed Force One drew a large fan base of its own. After being dismantled, many of its useful parts went to supply other aircraft, but its skin became band swag.
Aviationtag created limited-edition collectable tags (12,000 in total) made from Ed Force One’s fuselage and tail fin. They sold out, but the German aircraft upcycling company still keeps the page active on its website. It also produced a YouTube video of the upcycling project featuring Bruce Dickinson.
“To create colour variations, we also incorporated material from the blue tail fin, which had up to nine layers of paint applied over time,” Aviationtag’s chief commercial officer Tobias Richter told CNN.
The Boeing 747 that became a star of the show
For a few months during its long service life, Air Atlanta Icelandic’s Boeing 747-400 TF-AAK put on a heavy metal outfit and helped Iron Maiden deliver a world-class tour.
Its time in Ed Force One service proved that a jumbo jet could be both transport and a moving stage, with its eye-catching fuselage turning airport landings into a concert pre-show.
While Iron Maiden’s Ed Force One is gone, it was cherished by many, both rock fans and aircraft fans. More than anything, Iron Maiden’s Boeing 747-400 Ed Force One proved that, while aviation can be practical, it is also larger than life.
Featured Image: Sergey Kohl | stock.adobe.com
