ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities have sunk an A300 Airbus jet off a resort on the Aegean Sea with the aim of boosting diving tourism in the region, reports said Sunday.
The giant plane was put to the bottom of the sea Saturday afternoon off the popular resort of Kusadasi in Aydin province, the Dogan and Cihan news agencies reported.
The sinking of the giant plane — with a wingspan of 44 meters (144 feet) and a length of 54 meters (177 feet) — is aimed at promoting artificial reef diving which is hugely popular with experienced divers.
Once sunken, the plane acts like a reef, becoming a magnet for underwater flora and fauna.
The 36-year-old aircraft had been bought by Aydin municipality from a private aviation firm for 270,000 Turkish lira ($93,000).
Turkey is looking for new ways to promote its key tourism industry, which is expected to suffer a battering this year due to the security situation after a string of deadly attacks.
Hundreds of people watched the two-and-a-half hour sinking on nearby boats, cheering and blasting their foghorns as the nose of the plane finally went down, video images showed.
“Our goal is to make Kusadasi a center of diving tourism,” said Aydin’s mayor Ozlem Cercioglu.
“Our goal is to protect the underwater life. And with these goals in mind, we have witnessed one of the biggest wrecks in the world.”
She added: “Our main target to diversify tourism in Kusadasi and have a 12 month season.”
Three small planes have been sunk off Turkish resorts of recent years in the hope of promoting dive tourism but this is the first time Turkey has sent such a large aircraft to the bottom of the sea.
Turkey sinks Airbus jet to boost dive tourism
Turkey sinks Airbus jet to boost dive tourism
Millie Bobby Brown spotted in new advert for Yas Island in Abu Dhabi
DUBAI: British actress Millie Bobby Brown is starring in a new advert for entertainment destination Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
With a nod to “Stranger Things,” Brown is seen buckling into Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest rollercoaster alongside her husband Jake Bongiovi.
Moments before launch, she asks him about the speed, and when he replies “240 km an hour,” she makes a quick exit. The advert continues with lights flickering and Brown and other characters glitching with effects reminiscent of the hit Netflix series.
Created by the Duffer Brothers, “Stranger Things” debuted in 2016 and quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular series, with its fourth season amassing more than 140.7 million views globally.
The series has garnered over 70 awards worldwide, including Emmys and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
Brown was announced as a brand ambassador for Yas Island in November.
The Netflix show’s final season five is being released in stages. The first four episodes streamed on Nov. 26, and will be followed by three on Dec. 25, and the finale on New Year’s Eve.
In her first promotional clip for Yas Island, she is seen back in the Byers’ living room, made famous on the show, framed by the glow of the iconic alphabet wall that is a key element of the “Stranger Things” storyline.
In the video, she jokes about taking a holiday after five seasons of the show as the lights begin to flicker, illuminating one by one until they spell out “YAS.”
Brown is the latest celebrity to take on a role with Yas Island, following Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Hart and Jason Momoa, who were all “Chief Island Officers.”
The actors starred in a series of amusing adverts for the entertainment destination, including Reynolds appearing to skydive over Abu Dhabi.
