Airport

Worrier WWII warplane Douglas Dakota DC-3 sunk off the coast of Mediterranean and now !!

This Douglas Dakota DC-3 once flew at altitudes of 8,000ft, but now it lies 70 feet beneath the surface of the Mediterranean. The 65-foot-long plane, which was used as a transporter for a Turkish paratroop regiment, was deliberately sunk in waters off Kas, Turkey, in July 2009, and has become an underwater playground for divers. Rico Besserdich, 46, of Hamburg, Germany has dived the wreck more than 50 times.

A diver swims next to the wreck of a Dakota DC-3 which was deliberately sunk off Turkey to create an underwater playground for divers

‘As the underwater visibility is often poor at the site you have to dive quite deep before you see the plane – as you get closer it looms out of the darkness.’ The sunken plane, with its 30-metre wingspan, now acts as an artificial reef and provides shelter for a wide variety of marine wildlife. A diver explores the 20 metre-long plane, with its 30-metre wingspan

Douglas DC3 cockpit once upon time to Barracudas occasionally drift past the coral-encrusted twin propeller engines. So do divers!

Shrimp gobies live in the cool sand in the shadow of the plane and occasionally barracudas drift past the coral-encrusted twin propeller engines in search of food. ‘Wrecks act as artificial reefs which makes them interesting to scuba divers,’ said Besserdich. ‘You usually expect underwater wrecks of all kinds to be broken into pieces. This airplane is more or less fully intact which makes it seem even stranger.’

Courtesy : Daily mail

Airport

Three Major UK Airports Up for Multi-Billion Pound Sale

Three major UK airports, including London City, Birmingham, and Bristol, are set to be sold in a multi-billion pound deal as their Canadian owner, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), seeks to capitalize on a booming air travel market.

The OTPP is in talks with minority shareholders about selling its stakes in these airports, as well as its holdings in Brussels and Copenhagen airports.

Current evaluations suggest the combined value of the five airports exceeds £10 billion, with OTPP owning between 25% and 70% stakes in each, potentially bringing the total sale to over £3.5 billion.

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The move comes as global aviation experiences a strong recovery, driving increased demand for air travel, particularly across Europe. The OTPP, which holds a significant portion of its portfolio in these airports, is in the process of offering its shares to co-investors with a 30-day “right of first refusal” period.

Analysts speculate that the sale could trigger a chain reaction, prompting other stakeholders to consider selling their shares, particularly if a new buyer seeks a controlling interest.

Bristol Airport, for example, has outlined an ambitious master plan to expand its capacity from 12 million passengers per year to 15 million by 2036, addressing the growing demand in the region.

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Meanwhile, London’s Heathrow and Stansted airports have seen record passenger traffic, further underscoring the sector’s recovery.

As the 30-day period progresses, the OTPP’s decision could spark a flurry of activity, with other investors such as Australian giant Macquarie reportedly showing interest in the airports.

This potential sale is set to reshape the future of UK airport ownership and investment, as the aviation industry continues to recover and grow.