The alternatives for retiring aircraft are essentially limitless. They can move an aircraft boneyard, reenter the air in new livery to fly for another airline, or even be recycled for parts.
Some of them have been transformed into eateries, museums, cafes, and even gathering places. However, one of the most stunning airplane conversions to date may be this private jet turned luxury villa, which is situated on a clifftop close to Nyang-Nyang beach on the Indonesian island of Bali.
How did it start?
The retired Boeing 737, which was formerly a member of the fleet of the now-defunct Mandala Airlines, was bought by developer Felix Demin back in 2021 and brought to its remote position.
The Private Jet Villa by Hanging Gardens, which is 150 meters above sea level and has two bedrooms and a swimming pool, will be offered for rent starting in April, with nightly rates beginning at about $7,000.
Demin, who is also the proprietor of the Bubble Hotel Bali hotel chain, claims that while he initially considered buying a private plane for his own use, he soon realised that the plane had the potential to become something truly unique.
He says, “Even before I bought it, I thought that it was possible to transform it into some type of unique thing, and I decided to concentrate on making a villa.” Later, he claims that while hunting in Indonesia alone, he discovered perhaps 20 or so identical planes.
Finally, Denim decided on a Boeing 737 that an Indonesian investor had purchased and agreed to buy it.
The challenge:
The challenge of moving the airplane from Bali to a clifftop several kilometers away wasn’t simple, either.
After speaking with the Boeing crew, “We had to take it apart,” he says. We have undone 50,000 bolts.
Demin, who has lived in Bali for around eight years, claims that the entire operation took about two months to arrange, and that the actual movement, which required two cranes, a large platform, numerous professionals, and a police escort, took place over the course of five days.
He claims that the five days leading up to the operation were the most sleepless of his life and that they were largely spent at night.
Bali is known for its incredibly small streets and numerous low-hanging wires, according to him. In order to prevent the wires from being touched by the plane as it was being transported, a crew of people employed special equipment to raise them higher.
He was able to completely finish the extensive rehabilitation work when the plane was reassembled at the location on Bali’s southernmost coast.
According to Demin, he took considerable care to make sure the interior matched his initial idea.
Every moment spent in this extraordinary location should have a “wow effect,” he claims.
The look of the Boeing villa:
There is a stairway that ascends the wing to the main entrance of the home.
There are two bedrooms with walk-in closets and a living room with a bar, a couch bed, and a glass portal within.
Additional portholes have been built so those inside may look “overboard,” and the cockpit has been transformed into a huge bathroom.
Sun loungers, an outdoor lounge area, and a fire pit are also on the property.
Everything was done, in Demin’s words, “with the exclusive purpose of getting the exact picture that was originally intended.”
The social media talks:
Since it was first introduced, the innovative idea has received a lot of attention on social media, which has caused some quite unexpected events to occur in real life.
Before recalling how a paraglider once leaped off the plane’s wing, Demin says, “One day I came and discovered a shattered fence and 150 people sitting on our plane.”
Even though Demin insists that the plane has undergone several safety inspections, its perilous position and the countless photographs shared of influencers walking along the wing or with their legs hanging out of the plane door have undoubtedly aroused questions.
According to Demin, a safety barrier has been put up on the rock. However, he claims he has having difficulty finding a candidate to install a glass barrier on a wing that is situated over a cliff.
Everyone is terrified to do it, he admits, “but the main problem is the glass barrier along the contour of the wing itself and along the contour of the rock.”
“This has some problems, especially with the wing. However, as soon as we find someone with the guts to carry it out, we will do it.”
Demin is eagerly anticipating welcome visitors to the private jet mansion, which is expected to open its doors in April after years of arduous work on the project.
It happens a year after a retired British Airways plane was converted into a distinctive event venue for hire with a base at the UK’s privately owned Cotswold Airport.
In Stockholm, Sweden, the Jumbo Stay Hotel, a former Boeing 747 converted to a hostel/hotel, debuted in 2009.
