OVER 7,000 divers have enjoyed a scuba to the sunken Airbus A300 off the shores of Kusadasi

Nearly 15 months after it was sunk to become an artificial reef, Aydin Council’s Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu said the aim was to make diving tourism a 12-month pursuit.

“The diversification of tourism in Kuşadası and its expansion to 12 months is our biggest target. In order to reveal the potential of underwater and diving tourism and make Kuşadası a world brand, we immersed the biggest A300 aircraft in Turkey.

“For diving tourism, we offer the best opportunity in the Kuşadası Gulf.

She said that about 7,000 tourists had dived to experience the underwater plane.

The giant plane was put to the bottom of the sea on June 4, 2016. The giant plane has a wingspan of 44 meters (144 feet) and a length of 54 meters (177 feet).

The 36-year-old aircraft as bought by Aydın Council from a private aviation firm for 270,000 Turkish liras ($93,000).