High Fidelity: From encore to airborne
With tours going more global than ever, IQ explores how private aviation experts manage the logistics that make extended touring possible
Feature By Eamonn Forde | 3 April 2026
Hiring a private plane used to be the preserve of the biggest touring acts, part convenience and part braggadocio, with Led Zeppelin’s infamous Starship providing the aviation blueprint for generations of acts that followed.
But as touring becomes more intense, and more markets open up, private plane hire is often the best way to make intense touring schedules viable for a range of acts, not just the elite.
“It is expensive, and it’s going to be cheaper on a bus – but you’ve got to weigh that up against the benefits,” says Lizzy Templer, tour director at Premier Aviation. “A band at the top end, who are exhausted after a show, they get onto the aircraft, and it’s their private home. They’re not being…
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