See inside a Boeing 727 salvaged from an aircraft 'graveyard' and converted into a lavish Airbnb that starts at $438 a night

Taylor Rains
Updated ·9 min read

  • An entrepreneur has converted a 56-year-old Boeing 727 into an Airbnb in Bristol, England.

  • Named PYTCHAir, the jet was bought without wings, engines, or a tail — but kept its lavish interior.

  • The Airbnb can host at least four people and is about $438 a night with a minimum two-night stay.

Most commercial airplanes end their life in aircraft "graveyards," where they are disassembled and discarded or recycled.

Some, however, are rescued by entrepreneurs and repurposed into everything from hotels and restaurants to dive sites and art installations.

The latest converted airplane is a 56-year-old Boeing 727 in Bristol, England, that's been repurposed as an Airbnb and is now owned by British-Australian businessman Johnny Palmer.

Known as PYTCHAir, the luxe jet is already getting bookings into May and June.

Palmer declined to share with BI the cost of the now colorfully painted aircraft but said he got a discount because the 727 didn't have wings, engines, or a tail.

With or without wings, the magic lives inside the plane, Palmer said. It has a lavish interior previously outfitted by an ultrawealthy owner. Palmer said he has since restored PYTCHAir into a livable space with a kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms.

"We've treated this as a restoration project rather than ripping everything out and changing it — and why would you?" he said. "It's beautiful; it's totally raw 1980s billionaire kitsch."

The Airbnb requires a minimum two-night stay and starts at 350 British pounds — or about $438 — a night, so at least $876 for a two-night stay.

PYTCHAir started life as a commercial jet flying for Japan Airlines and defunct German leisure carrier Hapag-Lloyd Flug between 1968 and 1981.

People gather for the first view of the new Boeing 727 jet airliner, developed for the short-to-medium haul market, on December 01, 1962 at Seattle, Washington.
People gather for the first view of the new Boeing 727 in Washington, which was developed for the short-to-medium haul market.-AFP/Getty Images

The Boeing 727 tri-jet is a rarity in the skies these days and is mostly used only by world militaries and cargo companies.

Iran Aseman Airlines was the last passenger carrier to operate a 727 when it flew two hours between the domestic cities of Zahedan and Tehran in 2019.

The plane was converted into a private jet in 1981 by an unknown owner. Palmer told BI the original cabin has an Arabian flare.

The lounge with couches, chairs, a mirror, and a table inside the plane.
The original design as it was before Palmer purchased the plane.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

Palmer said the interior design, including some of the shapes used, suggested that a Saudi family might have originally outfitted the plane.

The Airbnb listing described the interior as having "walnut paneling, gold details, and crystals" that "adorn this exquisite space ideal for nights away."

The plane jumped to a few more ultrawealthy owners before ending up wingless in a scrapyard in England, where Palmer bought it.

Johnny Palmer, with the 727 in 2021, is wearing a blue jacket and jeans.
Johnny Palmer with the 727 in 2021.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

The aircraft, which was just a fuselage, was acquired from Cotswold Airport in Kemble, England. The on-site "boneyard" breaks down old airliners and sells off the avionics and engines.

The airport is also home to a retired British Airways Boeing 747 that has been converted into a "party plane" for birthdays and other private events.

He was then faced with the task of moving the plane from Cotswold to its home in Bristol.

The aircraft moving down the motorway.
The aircraft was transported via motorway to Bristol.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

Palmer said the plane was transported via the M5 motorway and required a police escort.

"They closed the motorway for us to go down," he said. "That was fine for us but not so good for the motorists stacked up behind."

Palmer said the high-class interior was left in its original configuration and that he brought in a car detailer to wash, polish, and vacuum.

The dining room in the 727 with glassware on the table, two yellow armchairs, and a patterned couch. Mostly beige and brown hues.
This is the same living space previously pictured but after the sprucing up and renovations.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

He said he spent "tens of thousands" of dollars to restore the interior, on top of the cost of the jet itself.

Palmer said if the aircraft-to-Airbnb conversion proves financially viable, he'd consider adding another converted airplane to his fleet.

But the lighting, sound, and plumbing needed work, he said.

Inside the hallway leading from the back of the plane to the main lounge. The walls are brown with windows on the right side.
Palmer said that a modern Boeing Business Jet of similar stature would cost at least $50 million.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

To get the jet up and running, Palmer said he repaired the lights, fitted the aircraft with a new sound system and high-speed internet, and replaced its 110-volt electrical system with a 240-volt one.

And he had to create a structure from shipping containers to hold the jet in place.

PYTCHAir 727 with pink and orange paint on containers in parking lot next to black HQ building.
PYTCHAir is located at a multi-use facility called Skyline Park, which hosts the Airbnb and other spaces like a film set.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

According to PYTCHAir's website, the containers are stacked high to give the aircraft a sense of flying above the clouds. The company said the structure is "vastly over-engineered" and gets regular safety checks.

"Taking inspiration from the world of aviation, the tops of the shipping containers have been turned into a runway, and the rear air stairs open out onto a landing pad," PYTCHAir said.

Once fixed up, the plane operated as a multi-use space for things like parties and meetings before becoming a full-time Airbnb.

The bedroom next to the hallway in the 727.
The bedroom inside the 727.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

Palmer said that PYTCHAir has been in operation for three years. Before it was turned into an Airbnb, it was previously used as a film set, a meeting space, and even for sleepovers with his wife and kids.

Palmer converted the 727 into an Airbnb earlier this year. It has a minimum two-night stay at about $438 per night — or around $876 for a two-night booking.

Beige armchair facing computer in private jet.
The nightly rate in British pounds is 350, with a two-night minimum.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

He said he wanted to put the plane on Airbnb to share it with the world.

"The initial novel and weirdness of the aircraft has kind of worn off a little bit for me," Palmer said. "So, I thought now I can share it with more people and maybe get a few quid in for its running costs, maintenance, and ongoing improvements," he said, using British slang for money.

According to Palmer, the 727 can comfortably accommodate up to four people, but he said more can hypothetically fit.

Looking at the lounge from the kitchen.
Part of the kitchen area in the 727.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

He suggested people max their parties at four people to have the best experience in the space.

"I'm still refining the offering and getting the experience really, really good," Palmer said, noting that he may tweak the pricing. "This is something I'm passionate about."

The sleeping options include a separate bedroom with a king bed, a bunk bed, a pull-out couch, and a few sofas.

King bed, sofa bed, and lower birth stitched together, each with white bedding.
The main four sleeping areas.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

The main four sleeping options are the king bed, the sofa, and the lower bunk in the crew rest area.

Aside from those, there's also a pull-out couch in one of the two lounges that's another sleeping option. And there's another couch in the main bedroom that could be slept on, he said.

However, the upper twin bed is particularly cramped due to the shape of the ceiling.

The top birth on the 727 with white bedding.
The curved ceiling obstructs the upper berth.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

The cramped berth, which Palmer said is rarely ever used, is where the crew could sleep during flights when the 727 was still flying commercially.

The jet also features two main living spaces that can be used for lounging, working, or dining.

One of the sitting areas with a red patterned couch and three beige chairs by a table.
The couch doubles as a twin bed.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

The living rooms have couches, tables, chairs, sound equipment, and televisions.

Palmer said he designed the televisions in the main lounge to double as mirrors.

There is no shortage of comfortable work and living space.

The main lounge with TV on, red couch, wood dining table, and beige and red armchairs.
The main lounge inside the 727 Airbnb.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

The 727 narrowbody offers some 70 feet of cabin length and 12 feet of width to work with, per Boeing specs.

There's also a kitchen on board, complete with a dishwasher, two ovens, and a small refrigerator.

The small kitchen inside the 727 with green countertops, sink, fridge, and two ovens.
The small kitchen comes nearly fully equipped.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

The kitchen is located toward the front of the plane, across from the crew rest beds, and behind the cockpit.

An ensuite bathroom and two half-baths make for a total of three toilets and one shower.

The shower and sink in the main bedroom.
The shower and sink in the main bedroom.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

One communal bathroom is at the front of the aircraft next to the cockpit, one is mid-plane, and the more private third is attached to the bedroom and has a shower.

There are sinks and mirrors throughout the cabin.

Among the coolest spaces on the 727 is the cockpit, which Palmer said has some of the original lighting restored.

The 727 cockpit with fur-covered cockpit chairs.
The cockpit has been left unchanged other than the restoration done on the lighting and systems.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

PYTCHAir wants to restore as much of the jet as possible, including its systems, avionics, and lights.

For those who don't want to stay overnight at PYTCHAir, Palmer said he welcomes visitors to see the plane during the day.

The colorful 727 on the storage containers.
The plane is perched on storage containers to make it "fly." The fuselage was painted by artists Hasan Kamil, HazardOne, and Curtis Hylton.Courtesy of PYTCHAir

"I want to make it accessible, so anyone interested in seeing planes, especially little kids, can just send us a message, then we'll show them around and let them play and get selfies," he said.

Palmer's decked-out Boeing jet isn't the world's only scrapped plane given a second life. One 727-turned hotel lives in a jungle in Costa Rica.

airplane hotel house costa rica fuselage 727 10
Another 727 turned into a hotel is in Costa Rica.Courtesy of Hotel Costa Verde

A 727 in Quepos, Costa Rica, has been converted into the Hotel Costa Verde and features bedrooms, a kitchenette, a deck, and plenty of sitting space.

A giant Boeing 747 hostel-hotel complete with four engine rooms sits in Sweden.

Staying at the Jumbo Stay 747 hotel in Sweden.
The cockpit room at the JumboStay Hotel in Sweden.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

JumboStay sits next door to Arlanda Airport in Stockholm and features both dorm-style rooms and private rooms in the main cabin, the stairwell, and the engines.

Meanwhile, at least half a dozen old commercial planes have ended up in a deep grave as man-made diving sites.

Boeing 737 sunken off the coast of Canada.
A Boeing 737 sunken off the coast of Canada.Sea Proof TV

The sunken planes off the coast of countries including Bahrain, Canada, and Turkey promote diving tourism and include aircraft like an Airbus A300, a Boeing 737-200, and a Boeing 747 jumbo jet.

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