Famous abandoned aircrafts around the world: From Bali's Boeing 737 to India's Boeing 720

An abandoned Boeing 737 has been parked in a field near a limestone mine in Bali's southernmost region, and no one knows how or where it came from. According to ATDB.aero, this Boeing 737-200 model was produced in October 1982, and Arkia Israeli Airlines began flying it in March of the following year, followed by Dan-Air London by the end of that year. 

Later, the twin-engine jet was retired from British Airways in November 1992 after almost a decade of service and was sold to Mandala Airlines, who purchased the 737-200 in March 1993 and renamed it PK-RII. The Jakarta-based Indonesian low-cost airline, now known as Tigerair Mandala, changed its name in 2011.

Despite having been in business for three years, the airline was forced to close its doors in 2014 after its stockholders no longer wanted to support it. By this time, PK-RII had already gone out of business.

Read also: Arunachal's light aircraft to be operational for regional connectivity, historical moment for state

Mandala Airlines' 737-200 discontinued operations in November 2007, according to ATDB, however the precise date is unknown. According to ch-aviation.com, this occurred in February of 2008 and as it turned out, the well-travelled plane didn't wind up where it is today for many years.

In March 2013, PK-RII was relocated to its current location, a decommissioned quarry. An Australia-based buyer has apparently come up with the idea of turning the jet into an amusement park. Even while PK-RII gets a lot of attention, it's unlikely to be the kind of tourist attraction the owner had in mind.

Visitors are enthralled by the mystery of how the plane made its way into the pit. Putting it on a truck and driving it unobserved is not an option here. Rumour has it that the aircraft was dismantled and reconstructed in the quarry before the new owner ran out of money. The aircraft is protected by on-site security, however there are several viewing sites only a short distance away. 

It's not only PK-RII that's departed Bali's airport grounds, though, as one of the Boeing 737-300s is located in Kedonganan, next to a Dunkin' Donuts. Ex-Sriwijaya Air jet (registration PK-CKM) damaged beyond repair in Yogyakarta runway excursion disaster.

"A guy from Jakarta named Arif" is said to be the owner of the plane, according to a Bali-based blog. In particular, Bali Arrangements reported in 2020: "In 2015, he purchased it in Jakarta, had it deconstructed, and then shipped it here in four cargo containers. Since then, it has been perched on a set of stilts. At some point in the future, it'll be transformed into a restaurant and a flying simulator. He has a 10-year lease on the property, but he needs an investor before he can begin the renovations to the aircraft."

In addition to this, India is also home to a few aircraft that have been abandoned after making their final flight, including a Boeing 720 in Nagpur and a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 in Raipur

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