There are abandoned Boeing 737s in Indonesia, and no one seems to know why. They sit on the same end of the island, about five kilometers apart, both on vacant scraps of land and holed up behind fences.
There are plenty of theories about how the aircraft got there. The most popular theory is that Boeing was originally installed by a wealthy businessman.
The aircraft is parked in a limestone quarry near the Raya Nusa Dua Selatan Highway.
According to some locals, the ambitious entrepreneur brought the plane in parts and reassembled it there to start a restaurant inside it. However, it is rumored that the man ran out of cash to finish the project and abandoned the plane in the quarry.
However, the theory has not been confirmed by authorities.
The plane has runway stairs propped up against the front entrance. It has no identification or branding on it. The defunct plane is fenced off and only available to see from a viewpoint.
Oddly enough, PK-RII is not the only old Boeing in Bali that’s left the airport precinct. Another Boeing 737-300 is at Kedonganan, next door to a Dunkin’ Donuts – handy if you like to eat while sightseeing. The aircraft is a former Sriwijaya Air jet (registration PK-CKM) that was involved in a runway excursion accident in Yogyakarta and was written off as damaged beyond repair.
According to a Bali-based blog, “a guy from Jakarta named Arif” owns the plane. Specifically, Bali Arrangements reported in 2020 that:
“He bought it in Jakarta and had it dismantled, then loaded into four shipping containers and transported it here in 2015. It’s been sitting up on stilts ever since. The long-term plan is to turn it into a restaurant and flight simulator eventually. Apparently, Arif has a 10-year lease on the land, but he needs an investment partner before he can start renovating the plane.”
In the meantime, Arif’s onsite muscle charges tourists to climb onboard (via a ladder) to take photos.
Well, that’s not all.
Another plane was seen on top of a cliff at Nyang-Nyang beach in 2021. The plane was hauled to the top of a seaside cliff. It was installed with investment from Felix Demin who hoped to revive Bali’s tourism after COVID-19.
Demin bought the disassembled plane when it was about to be sold as scrap metal to China.
While Demin expects it to become a popular photography spot and plans to convert the plane into tourist accommodation, some locals worry that it would spoil the seaside view.
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