John Travolta’s Boeing 707 — heading home to HARS at last
After nearly a decade of planning, setbacks and international logistics, the fuselage of John Travolta’s famous Boeing 707 is finally on its way to Wollongong Airport — by ship. The Boeing 707-138B, registered N707JT, is currently at sea and expected to arrive at Port Kembla around 9 May 2026. From there it will be trucked the 15 kilometres to HARS at Albion Park, where a team of volunteer engineers will begin reassembling one of the most storied aircraft in Australian aviation history.
A long journey home
Travolta donated the aircraft to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society in May 2017, with hopes of piloting it to Australia himself. Built in 1964 and delivered to Qantas as VH-EBM ‘City of Launceston’, it was the last of 13 Boeing 707-138Bs built specifically for Qantas — earning the nickname “The Last of the Hotrods” for its powerful engines and relatively light airframe.
The plan to fly it home was ultimately abandoned after FAA airworthiness directives and restoration costs made the task untenable. HARS instead partnered with aircraft relocation specialists Worldwide Aircraft Recovery to dismantle and ship the aircraft in sections.
Piece by piece
An engine and pylon arrived in June 2025 and were displayed at HARS Tarmac Day. The tail fin arrived late in 2025. The fuselage and wings — the centrepiece of the collection — are now en route.
Once assembled, the 707 will join the museum’s Qantas Boeing 747-400 and the airworthy Super Constellation as centrepiece exhibits, giving HARS one of the most significant collections of Qantas heritage aircraft anywhere in the world.
Visit HARS
HARS is located right at Wollongong Airport, Airport Road, Albion Park Rail. Guided tours depart daily at 9:30am and 3:30pm.
