Plane pieces: Part of a plane is being remodeled for another purpose.

Flying high in the sky, or lying in junkyards, aircraft parts remain big business '€” nothing is left to waste.

The aircraft industry goes beyond the design, manufacture and maintenance of millions of dollars worth of machinery.

Even after planes are declared no longer fit to fly, they still offer huge prospects for people with strong business instincts.

Among them is Bramandika '€œBram'€ Syafran Sahabudin '€” a travel bureau owner who has been in the business of plane junk for three years.

'€œThe plane junk business is actually a good business if you know the market,'€ said Bram.

The 28-year-old entered the business unplanned if not rather accidentally.

Out of the blue, one of his clients from the travel bureau asked him whether Bram knew anyone who had a used plane and wanted to sell it because the man was interested in buying it.

'€œHe said he needed a plane body that he would rebuild as a restaurant,'€ Bram said of his first client.

Sniffing a huge business opportunity, Bram then used his network to find used planes. The former airline officer had no problem finding the item the client wanted.

The profit from such deals are substantial. Without providing details, Bram said he usually bought a plane for less than Rp 1 billion (US$76,982) and sold it on for much more.

For his first contract, Bram secured a deal worth Rp 1.7 billion, including taxes and transportation fees.

Bram admitted the biggest challenge in the business lay with the delivery method as it concerned moving huge loads.

For his first order, Bram needed to use four big trucks to carry the whole plane body to a designated address in Sukabumi, West Java.

Stage ship: A stage is made from part of a plane body

'€œWe needed 24 hours to get there because the road conditions only allowed us to drive at 40 kilometers/hour,'€ Bram said.

Apart from the Sukabumi project, Bram has received orders from various clients.

He said one of his planes was installed as flight simulator in Gandaria City Mall in South Jakarta.

Bram said he also received orders from outside Jakarta and Indonesia. Most of these orders will request that the plane be remodeled as a restaurant or part of a building interior.

'€œRecently, I'€™ve also got calls from clients in South Korea and Malaysia,'€ he said.

Bram'€™s explanation hints at the huge potential in the plane junk business. Some players can be found online through social media or online sites like Kaskus.

They not only offer used plane bodies but also plane interiors and accessories, like toilets, life vests and even seats, which are the targets of collectors, who are mostly aviation enthusiasts.

Another player Nurhayati agreed collectors played a significant role in the business. '€œThey are willing to pay any price for items they are after,'€ she said.

Nurhayati said she once sold used plane seats for Rp 5 million each and was sold out.

'€œI just bought them for Rp 1.5 million from suppliers,'€ said the woman, who also runs a plane-modeling business.

Cahyo Rahino, the owner of Explane Indonesia, said collectors were the pulse of the business. '€œThey are the top of our business chain,'€ said the 46-year-old, who established Explane Indonesia three years ago.

I used to sit there: Used seats are being displayed for collectors. These seats can worth up to Rp 10 million per piece.

The company sells almost anything from used planes, from the body and interiors to the accessories in different plane types, making sure that nothing is left behind. All these materials are stored in his business premises in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

However, Cahyo'€™s clients are not only aviation buffs but also pilot and flight-attendant schools, which need the materials for flight demonstrations.

Cahyo added that he also received requests for filming and photography locations.

'€œThe price ranges between Rp 30 million and Rp 50 million per session,'€ he explained.

Long time collector Hendrawan is already aware of the uncontrollable nature of this business. Therefore, the 40-year-old shoe businessman tries to refrain from being blinded by so many offers from suppliers.

'€œThe offers sometimes can be so ridiculous. Some ask for Rp 2.3 million, but others with the same item sell it only for Rp 1 million. Well, I try to ignore them,'€ said Hendrawan, who is said to keep all his plane collections at his home.

From collecting everything '€” toilets, life vests, plane panel indicators '€” Hendrawan tries to limit himself to only collecting plane models and used plane doors with registration numbers.

He said he always allocated a three-month budget of at least Rp 5 million for his hobby.

Yet, finding a royal collector like Hendrawan poses another challenge in this business.

'€œNot everyone is really serious, sometimes they only ask for the price with no follow ups. Therefore, you have to really check their backgrounds,'€ Bram said.

However, as soon as the right and serious buyers are found, it will all be worth it.

In the hands of a collector, Bram said, a business seat from a Boeing 747 plane could be worth Rp 30 million, while the value of an economy-class seat could amount to Rp 10 million each.

Cahyo said he received a request from a collector who was willing to pay Rp 5 million for used plane propellers only. The older the type, the more expensive the items were, he added.

As long as plane buffs like Hendrawan exist, it seems that the business of plane junk will continue to soar.

'€” Photos by Courtesy of Explane Indonesia