Summary
- Bali has multiple abandoned 737s, including one that spent many years in a quarry before becoming a luxury hotel.
- The 737s found new life as tourist attractions, with mysterious origins sparking curiosity among visitors.
- Bali also has a DC-10 on top of a mall that never opened. It was meant to have an aviation-themed design.
As the most popular Indonesian island, visiting Bali is a bucket list item for many tourists worldwide. While more famous for its rich culture, scenic beaches, and natural setting, the island also has a few planes lying around, attracting aviation enthusiasts and other travelers.
The most popular and photographed was a Boeing 737-200 that sat in a quarry for many years. Just how and why the Boeing narrowbody ended up there is a mystery many have tried to solve. However, it has found a new life as a luxury hotel. Why Bali is a hotspot for abandoned planes is also a question many have been trying to answer.
Bali’s famous Boeing 737
The famous 737 spent many years in a slightly hidden spot along Jalan Nusa Dua Selatan, about five minutes from Pandawa Beach. It sat on a private property amidst a carved limestone hill. According to ATDB.aero, the Boeing 737-200 was built in October 1982. The following March, it entered service with Arkia Israeli Airlines before Dan-Air London took it up at the end of the year.
After nearly a decade flying as G-BLDE, the twinjet left the British carrier in November 1992. This was when British Airways acquired Dan-Air, absorbing it into its Gatwick operations. In March 1993, the 737-200 went to Mandala Airlines as PK-RII. This Indonesian low-cost carrier was based in Jakarta and rebranded itself as Tigerair Mandala in 2011.
It ceased operations three years later, after its shareholders stopped providing the airline with funding. By this time, PK-RII had already departed. The date when the 737-200 in question ceased flying for Mandala Airlines is unclear, with ATDB.aero listing it as November 2007. Meanwhile, ch-aviation offers February 2008 as the date when this happened. In any case, it wasn’t until several years later that the well-traveled aircraft ended up where it is now.
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Nine years in the quarry
PK-RII was moved to the former quarry in March 2013. The owner, who was allegedly an Australian, proposed converting the old plane into a tourist attraction. While PK-RII attracts plenty of attention and visitors, it probably isn’t the type of tourist attraction they had in mind.
Another mysterious aspect that enchants visitors is how the aircraft got into the quarry. Indeed, it isn’t the sort of item you could throw onto the back of a truck and bring in unnoticed. In 2021, Simple Flying explored the logistics of such operations after interviewing Johnny Palmer, who transported a Boeing 727 fuselage from Kemble to Bristol by road.
Photo: Private Jet Villa
Rumor has it that the Bali 737 came into the quarry in parts and was reassembled there before the owner ran out of cash or interest. After sitting in the quarry for nine years, the aircraft found a new owner. It was purchased by Russian developer Felix Demin in 2021 and moved to Nyang Nyang beach the following year. It is now the famous luxurious Private Jet Villa overlooking the Indian Ocean.
More abandoned 737s in Bali
PK-CKM – Kedonganan
PK-RII is not the only old Boeing 737 in Bali that has left the airport precinct. There is a 737-300 at Kedonganan, close to a Dunkin’ Donuts – handy if you like to eat while planespotting. The aircraft is a former Sriwijaya Air jet, with registration PK-CKM. It was involved in a runway excursion accident in Yogyakarta and was written off as damaged beyond repair.
The aircraft was built in July 1996 and first delivered to Virgin Express the following month. Throughout its lifetime, it saw operations with easyJet Switzerland, Pace Airlines, Air China, and a few other operators. The incident that forced it out of service occurred on December 20, 2011. It was shipped to Bali and is now owned by an Indonesian businessman.
There have been many theories as to why he bought it. Some suggest that he wanted to turn it into a home, while others say he wanted to build an aviation-themed cinema and restaurant. Some also say he wanted to turn it into some sort of tourist attraction. In 2020, Bali Arrangements reported 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.”
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Another 737 in West Bali
If you are really keen, there is also an abandoned Boeing 737-200 in a field in Jembrana in West Bali. While the plane is locked up, tourists can climb onto the wings and get up close. According to the Things To Do In Bali blog, it might be one of the least visited abandoned planes. It sits in the middle of a big field underneath high power lines.
In 2022, the field was reportedly under threat from residential developers. There were plans to develop the area and erect a library, restaurant, and café, with the aircraft being the main attraction. There were also rumors of the aircraft being turned into a private villa. While it may seem strange, Bali isn’t the only place in Asia with abandoned aircraft scattered around. India also has a few planes lying around its airports.
The DC-10 fuselage in Bali
If three abandoned 737s don’t satisfy you, there is the fuselage of an old British Caledonian Airways McDonnell Douglas DC-10 parked on the roof of the never-opened Gate 88 Mall just north of Kuta. Its location makes it one of the easiest planes to spot in Bali. If you want to access the aircraft, onsite security will reportedly let you up if asked nicely and appropriately remunerated.
The aircraft, with registration Z-AVT, is nearly 46 years old. It was built in November 1978 and delivered to British Caledonian Airways as G-BFGI in January 1979. It flew for the British carrier until January 1987, when it was taken up by Continental Airlines. In 2001, it was taken up as a freighter by DAS Air Cargo after undergoing conversion in Singapore.
The last known operator was Zimbabwe’s Avient Aviation. It operated the DC-10, with registration Z-AVT, from August 2006 to February 2010. ATDB.aero notes that it was scrapped at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK). The tail section, which now sits on the Gate 88 Mall roof, was shipped there between 2013 and 2014.
Although it was never opened, the mall owners planned to give it a unique design, with shops, entertainment, restaurants, a spa, and a sky lounge. It was supposed to be opened in the summer of 2014, but developers reportedly ran out of funds. By the summer of 2016, it mainly consisted of empty commercial space.
What do you make of Bali’s various abandoned aircraft? Have you ever visited one of these sites yourself? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!