Palestinian twins turn Boeing 707 into restaurant, set to welcome customers soon

Two Palestinian brothers in the occupied West Bank have turned a decommissioned Boeing 707 aircraft into a picturesque restaurant. Ata and Khamis Al Sairafi, both twins by birth, are currently giving final touches to their unique eatery and are set to welcome guests in the coming weeks. Inside the old jet’s cabin, the seats have been stripped out and the window panes have been removed. As per Times of Israel, while hued tables will soon be fitted in the fuselage, which would be ornate with wooden laminated floors. 

The 60-year-olds have also given a symbolic yet interesting moniker to their restaurant. They’ve decided to call it the Palestinian Jordanian Airline Restaurant and Coffee Shop Al-Sairafi Nablus. Speaking to Times of Israel Khamis said that they will start by serving Hookah to the customers before venturing into the event space. “The cockpit will be a suitable place for any newlyweds” who would come to them to hold their wedding in the abandoned aircraft, according to Khamis. “Having an aircraft in the Palestinian territories is such a strange idea that I’m sure the project will be a success," he added. 

Talking about the start of the venture, Ata said that he and his brother were working as scrap metal traders two decades ago when he learned about a 1980s-era passenger plane sitting near Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel. They then purchased it in 1999, even though the entire West Bank lacks an airport. The brothers bought it for $100,000, with its engine removed, and then transported it from Israel to the West Bank. 

Similar restaurants

Airplane restraints have become a popular concept in recent times. Some famed airplanes-turned-restaurants are located in El Avión, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, La Tante DC10, Accra, Ghana, Hawai Adda, Ludhiana, India, Steaks on a Plane, Bolton, United Kingdom, Runway 1, Haryana, India, The Airplane Restaurant, Colorado Springs, McDonald's, Taupō, New Zealand, Space Shuttle Cafe, New York

All images: AlaaDaraghme/Twitter