(CNN) — From returning to the sky in new livery to fly for another airline, to being recycled for parts or moving an aircraft boneyard, the possibilities for retired aircraft are seemingly endless.
Some have been converted into restaurants, museums, cafes and even party venues. But this private jet turned luxury villa, located on a clifftop near Nyang-Nyang beach on the Indonesian island of Bali, may be one of the most beautiful aircraft transformations to date.
Formerly part of the now defunct Mandala Airlines’ fleet, the retired Boeing 737 was purchased by developer Felix Demin back in 2021 and transported to its remote location.
Jet turned villa
This retired Boeing 737 turned private villa will be available to rent in April, with nightly rates starting at around $7,000.
Felix Demin/Private Jet Villa
Demin, also the owner of the Bubble Hotel Bali hotel chain, says that he initially considered purchasing a private plane for personal use, but quickly saw the potential to transform the aircraft into something truly special.
“Even before buying it, I thought that it was possible to convert it into some kind of unique object, and decided to concentrate on creating a villa,” he says, before explaining that he found 20 or so similar planes located around Indonesia alone while searching.
Denim eventually settled on a Boeing 737 that had been bought by an Indonesia investor and agreed to purchase it.
However, transporting the aircraft from its location in Bali to a clifftop several miles away was no easy task.
“We had to take it apart after consulting with the Boeing team,” he explains. “We’ve loosened 50,000 bolts.”
According to Demin, who has been living in Bali for around eight years, the entire process took around two months of planning, while the actual transportation, which involved two cranes, a huge platform, various specialists and a police escort, lasted a total of five days.
“It was the most sleepless five days of my life,” he says, adding that much of the operation took place at night.
Precarious position
The retired aircraft has been transformed into a luxurious two-bedroom property for rent.
Felix Demin/Private Jet Villa
“The fact is that Bali has very narrow roads and a lot of wires that hang quite low,” he says. “We had a group of people who used special…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CNN.com – RSS Channel – Travel…