Three Boeing 747 Jumbo jets forgotten about at airport leading to mighty seven-figure parking fine and unlikely relocation
Published on Dec 08, 2025 at 8:39 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Dec 08, 2025 at 8:40 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
Imagine forgetting not just one Boeing 747 jumbo jet at an airport, but forgetting that you had three of the airliners sitting around doing nothing.
Well, that is exactly what happened in Malaysia at Kuala Lumpur Airport in 2015, after newspaper articles appeared asking the mystery owners of three Boeing 747s at the airport to ‘come and get them’.
It was like the ultimate version of a lost property bin, with the three aircraft seemingly abandoned by whoever owned them.
Incredibly, the aircraft did find new homes, and what became of them probably isn’t what you are thinking right now.
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How the three Boeing 747 airliners were left
A notice was placed in a local newspaper to try to get their owners to come and retrieve the aircraft.
Asking for an ‘untraceable owner’, the three aircraft were registrations TF-ARM, TF-ARN, and TF-ARH.
The advert listed the exact parking locations for them at Kuala Lumpur airport.
There was also a phone number to get in touch with.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad said the owner had two weeks to come and get the jets.
Following that, they would have the right to dispose of or sell them on.
This was dictated by Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Regulations.
What is remarkable is how three giant airliners were simply left at an airport, with no knowledge of the owner.
The trio of jets had actually been parked up for over a year, racking up millions in parking fees.
What became of the three jets?
The aircraft still sat at the airport for some time, long after the story had been published in the newspapers.
In 2020 and 2021, logbooks suggested that the trio had been broken up.
However, that is not what actually happened.
TF-ARM ended up in Nanchang, China
It then became an educational exhibit at Jiangxi Aviation Vocational and Technical College.
It was even painted in a faux livery resembling Air Force One in the United States.
Jumbo jet TF-ARN moved to Zhoushan, Zhejiang province.
It now lives as an attraction in Dinghai, as a training and leisure center.
Finally, TF-ARH was moved to the Freeport A’Famosa Outlet in Melaka.
Once there, it became a cafe, lounge, and shopping center called ‘Coach Airways.’
Somehow, this trio of forgotten Boeing 747s avoided the scrapman.
Boeing 747 Timeline
1966 (April): Program Launch Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) places the first order for 25 aircraft, effectively launching the program.
1968 (September 30): First Rollout The first 747 is rolled out of the custom-built assembly plant in Everett, Washington—the largest building by volume in the world.
1969 (February 9): First Flight The 747 makes its maiden test flight, piloted by Jack Waddell, Brien Wygle, and Jess Wallick.
1970 (January 22): Commercial Debut Pan Am operates the first commercial jumbo jet service, flying from New York (JFK) to London (Heathrow).
1989 (February 9): The 747-400 Era The most popular variant, the 747-400, enters service with Northwest Airlines, featuring winglets and a glass cockpit.
2005 (November 14): 747-8 Launch Boeing launches the final generation, the 747-8, incorporating technology from the 787 Dreamliner.
2011 (October 12): 747-8 Service Entry The first 747-8 (a freighter version) is delivered to Cargolux; the passenger version follows in 2012 with Lufthansa.
2023 (January 31): End of Production Boeing delivers the final 747 (a freighter) to Atlas Air, ending a 54-year production run with 1,574 aircraft built.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
