Scrap Airplanes for Sale

THE Boeing 737-300 with registration number PK-LIH was being dismantled. What was left of the 'Lion Air' lettering and the company's logo could still be made out on the fuselage of the aircraft parked at Soekarno-Hatta Airport's night stop apron at Cengkareng, Tangerang, on Monday two weeks ago. Dozens of workmen crowded around it. Some were removing bolts from the wings, carrying away a variety of spare parts or carefully draining out oil. "We don't use welding," said Robby, one workman whom Tempo met.

After years of being left to disintegrate in a corner of the airport, this old plane was to be repurposed to serve various needs. This is why Robby and his fellow workers were breaking down the Boeing manually, without welding torches. Another reason for forgoing welding was their concern for safety, because the old aircraft still had some fuel left in it.

December 15, 2015