The Mystery of Bali’s Abandoned Aircraft

Mateen Kontoravdis

Monday, January 09, 2017 at 08:50 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Google Maps screenshot taken on 1/9/2017 overlooking Bali, Indonesia

Key Takeaways:

Bali is home to two abandoned Boeing 737 aircraft that have unexpectedly become popular tourist attractions due to their unusual presence.
One 737, located near Ngurah Rai Airport in a residential area, has been present since 2007 and is often explored by visitors, despite its missing engines.
The second 737 (PK-RII) in south Bali, present since 2008, remains fenced off and inaccessible, contrasting with a third 737 on the island that was successfully converted into a resort restaurant.

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Oftentimes the only place to find an abandoned airplane is at an abandoned airfield or at specific airports that serve as aircraft boneyards. However, this is not the case on the island of Bali, where two Boeing 737 aircraft have become local tourist attractions.

Bali, an island located in Indonesia, has long been known for its beautiful beaches, diverse marine species and unique Hindu temples. Therefore it seems odd that two aircraft with no livery happen to have appeared on this land.

One of the Boeing 737s is just three miles from Ngurah Rai International Airport. The aircraft has been situated in a residential part of the island near some shops and restaurants since 2007. It is unclear as to what the owner had planned to do with the aircraft, but so far no progress has been made on any plans. However, over the years, the position of the aircraft has changed, and in addition, the engines are boarded up to prevent people from noticing that the engines are missing.

The second abandoned aircraft of the island is PK-RII, also a Boeing 737-200. It has been sitting in a small fenced off area in south Bali since 2008. There is also another aircraft’s nose section and some small propellors at this location. The owner of this aircraft has announced the intent to convert the aircraft into a tourist attraction, but this has not yet occurred.

While both these aircraft did not end up becoming the attraction that their owners had hoped for, they still have instead become tourist attractions because they are abandoned. Many people have managed to go inside the first airplane, but the second still remains inaccessible.

Unlike the two abandoned airplanes, a resort on the island was successful in renovating a former Lion Air 737-400 into a restaurant space. The aircraft is mounted on a stand and even features a custom livery. In the end, all three aircraft have turned into one of many unique attractions that the island has to offer. It’s unclear what the future of the two abandoned airplanes will turn out to be, though it is not looking too bright.

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