by (CNN) — From returning to the skies in a new livery to fly for another airline, to recycling for parts or moving an aircraft graveyard, the possibilities for retired aircraft are seemingly endless.
Some have been converted into restaurants, museums, cafes and even party venues. But this private jet luxury villa, perched on a cliff near Nyang Nyang Beach on the Indonesian island of Bali, might just be one of the most beautiful airplane transformations ever.
The decommissioned Boeing 737, formerly part of Mandala Airlines’ fleet, was purchased by developer Felix Demin back in 2021 and transported to its remote location.
Jet turned into a mansion
This former Boeing 737 converted into a private villa is available for rent in April, with nightly rates starting at around $7,000.
Felix Demin/Private Jet Villa
Demin, also owner of Bubble Hotel Bali hotel chain, said he originally considered buying a private plane for personal use but quickly saw the potential to transform the plane into something truly special.
“Even before buying it, I thought that it would be possible to turn it into a unique object, so I decided to focus on building a villa,” he says, before explaining that he has about 20 similar aircraft in Indonesia alone found search.
Denim eventually settled on a Boeing 737 purchased from an Indonesian investor and agreed to the purchase.
However, transporting the aircraft from its base in Bali to a cliff several kilometers away was no easy task.
“We had to disassemble it after consulting with the Boeing team,” he explains. “We loosened 50,000 screws.”
According to Demin, who has lived in Bali for around eight years, the entire planning took around two months, while the actual transport, which involved two cranes, a huge platform, various specialists and a police escort, took a total of five days.
“It was the most sleepless five days of my life,” he says, adding that much of the surgery took place at night.
Precarious situation
The decommissioned aircraft has been converted into a luxury two bedroom rental property.
Felix Demin/Private Jet Villa
“The fact is, Bali has very narrow streets and a lot of cables that hang pretty low,” he says. “We had a group of people who used special equipment to hoist the wires higher so the plane wouldn’t touch them during transit.”
After the aircraft was reassembled at the site on Bali’s southernmost coast, he was able to remove much of the interior to complete the lengthy renovation work. Demin says he went to great lengths to ensure the interior lived up to his original vision.
“I want people to experience the ‘wow factor’ in every second in this unusual place,” he says.
The villa is accessed via a staircase that runs along the wing to the main entrance.
Inside there is a living room with bar, sofa bed and glass portal, and two bedrooms with walk-in closets.
The cockpit has been converted into a large bathroom with additional portholes added to allow those inside to see ‘overboard’.
The property also offers sun loungers, an outdoor lounge area and a fire pit.
“Everything was done for the sole purpose of getting the exact image that was originally intended,” adds Demin.
Social media sensation
The cockpit has been converted into a large bathroom with additional portholes.
Felix Demin/Private Jet Villa
The unique project has garnered a lot of attention on social media since it was first unveiled, leading to some rather unusual incidents at the site.
“One day I came and saw a broken fence and 150 people were sitting in our plane,” says Demin, before describing how a paraglider once jumped off the plane’s wing.
While Demin stresses that the plane went through numerous security checks, its precarious position, as well as the various images of influencers walking along the wing or with their legs hanging out of the plane door, certainly raised eyebrows.
Demin explains that a barrier was installed on the rock for security reasons. But he says he’s had trouble recruiting someone to install a glass barrier on a wing that’s over a cliff.
“The main problem is the glass barrier along the contour of the wing itself and along the contour of the rock,” he says, admitting that “everyone is afraid of that.”
“There are certain difficulties here, especially with the wing. But we will do it anyway as soon as we find someone brave enough to do it.”
After years of painstaking work on the project, Demin is very much looking forward to finally welcoming guests to the private jet villa, which is scheduled to open its doors in April.
Meanwhile, in 2009, the Jumbo Stay Hotel, a former Boeing 747 converted into a hostel/hotel, opened near Arlanda Airport in Stockholm, Sweden.
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