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Turkey sinks Airbus jet to attract tourists
Visitors to Turkey will soon be able to dive and marvel at an Airbus jet wreck.
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The plane was recently sunk off the beach resort town of Kusadasi in Aydin province in an attempt to create an artificial reef. (Instagram/Muhendisbilir)
Visitors to Turkey will soon be able to dive and marvel at an Airbus jet wreck.
The plane was recently sunk off the beach resort town of Kusadasi in Aydin province in an attempt to create an artificial reef, reported AFP.
It took 2.5 hours to sink the jet, while hundreds of people were waiting patiently to follow the activity minute by minute from nearby boats. They cheered as the nose of the plane finally disappeared into the water.
Largest ever sunken plane (A300) prepared for diving activities grounds seafloor #Kusadasi #Aydin #Turkey @Aydin_BSB pic.twitter.com/KdvdBuy779
— Süleyman Gökçe (@_sgokce) June 4, 2016
Turkey aims to turn the Airbus A300 aircraft – which features a wingspan of 44 meters and a length of 54 meters – into a home for marine life and attract experienced divers to explore the site.
"Our goal is to protect the underwater life. And with this goal in mind, we now have one of the biggest wrecks in the world," said Aydin Mayor Ozlem Cercioglu.
"We want to make Kusadasi a center of diving tourism," he added.
(Read also: Coral gardening beckons ecotourists to restore reefs)
Sinking planes is apparently not a new thing in Turkey. Over the last few years, the country has reportedly sunk small planes at numerous resorts in a bid to promote tourism, which has experienced a downfall this year due to security concerns following several terrorist attacks.
"Our main aim is to diversify tourism in Kusadasi and have a 12-month season,” said Cercioglu.
The 36-year-old aircraft costs Aydin municipality 270,000 Turkish lira (US$93,306). The plane was reportedly bought from a private aviation firm. (kes)
