Jet cafe dream comes true for Palestinian twins

RAMALLAH, West Bank－Few Palestinians in the occupied West Bank get to board an airplane these days. The territory has no civilian airport and those who can afford a plane ticket must catch their flights in neighboring Jordan. But just outside the northern city of Nablus, a pair of twins is offering people the next best thing.

Twin brothers Khamis and Ata al-Sairafi have converted an old Boeing 707 into a cafe and restaurant for customers to board.

"Ninety-nine percent of Palestinians have never used an airplane," Khamis said. "Only our ambassadors, diplomats, ministers and mayors use them. Now, they see an airplane and it is something for them."

After about 25 years of effort, the brothers opened The Palestinian-Jordanian Airline Restaurant and Coffee Shop al-Sairafi on July 21.

Families, friends and couples turned up for drinks in the cafe situated below the body of the plane. Many others came to take photos inside at a price of 5 shekels ($1.50) per person.

Customers said they wanted to visit the cafe after seeing pictures of the renovated plane circulating online. "For a long time, I have wanted to see this place. I wish I had seen this place before it was turned into a cafe," said customer Majdi Khalid.

For years, the jetliner sat along the side of a major highway in the northern West Bank, providing endless fodder for conversation for passersby baffled by its hulking presence.

The 60-year-old twin brothers' dream of transforming the airplane into a cafe and restaurant began in the late 1990s when Khamis saw the derelict Boeing aircraft near the northern Israeli city of Safed.

At the time, the plane already had an illustrious history. The aircraft was used by the Israeli government from 1961 to 1993 and flew then-prime minister Menachem Begin to the United States in 1978 to sign Israel's historic peace agreement with Egypt, according to Channel 12 TV.

It was later bought by three Israeli business partners who dreamed of turning it into a restaurant, but the project was abandoned following disagreements with local authorities.

Wings dismantled

After tracking down one of the owners, the brothers agreed to buy it for $100,000 in 1999. They spent an additional $50,000 for licenses, permits and to transport it to the West Bank.

Khamis said Ghassan Shakaa, the then-mayor of Nablus, quickly approved the transportation and renovation of the airplane.

Moving the plane to Nablus was a 13-hour operation, requiring the wings to be dismantled and temporary road closures in Israel and the West Bank. At the time, Israel and the Palestinians were engaged in peace talks and movement back and forth was relatively easy.

Following months of work, the aircraft was almost ready for full service. The interior had been freshly painted and fitted with electricity. Nine tables and the doors are connected to two old sets of airstairs, allowing customers to board safely. The nose of the plane has been painted with the colors of the Palestinian flag and the tail with Jordanian colors.

The cafe is already open and the brothers hope to open the restaurant next month. They plan to install a kitchen below the body of the plane to serve food to customers on board.

However, their long-term goal of rebuilding the amusement park and swimming pool remains a long way off. The pair said they were disappointed they had not received financial support from the municipality and are looking for investors.

"God willing, I hope the project works and that it becomes the best it can be," Ata said.

Agencies via Xinhua