Ankara - Türkiye
Off the Turkish coast of Kusadasi, a huge Airbus A300 plane turned into one of the strangest diving experiments in the Aegean Sea, ten years after it was deliberately sunk to become an artificial reef and an underwater tourist destination. Recent photos taken on September 22, 2026 showed divers swimming around its structure, which has become home to various types of marine creatures.

54 meters of metal and life

The plane is about 54 meters long, and rests under the surface of the sea in a site designated for diving. As the years passed, marine life began to inhabit the hull and wings, transforming the former plane from a huge metal body into an attraction that combines exploring the wreckage and watching fish and marine formations. Experienced divers can move around the hull and wings and explore parts of the cabin according to safety conditions and level of experience.

From the harbor to the depths

The tourist advantage does not stop with professional divers. Kusadasi is a major stop for cruise ships, and while many of its visitors head to Ephesus and the historical sites, diving trips have begun to give cruise passengers a different experience that can be added to the tourist day itself.
"We take our guests to another world"

Describing the experience, Tagmash Saracoglu, a diving instructor in Kusadasi, said that the region includes about ten different diving sites, and that visitors to cruise ships are showing increasing interest in discovering the marine side of the city, adding that the goal is to introduce guests to “the enchanting world under the waters of Kusadasi” and to swim alongside the fish.

An experience suitable for the Arab tourist

For the Arab tourist, the Kusadasi experience gives an additional advantage; The sea, markets, historical sites and diving trips can be combined in one destination. As for the tourism investor, the story provides a clear model of how to transform an out-of-service asset into a long-lasting tourism product that attracts visitors while at the same time supporting the marine environment through reefs.