
With its wheels firmly held in place, a Mercedes-Benz prepares for transport aboard a cargo plane.

In similar fashion, supercars ranging from Ferraris to Lamborghinis take to the skies each year as rich Arab playboys bring their vehicles from the Middle East to London, usually for just a few weeks over summer.

The car owners, many of them from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait, will happily pay a small fortune - in excess of £20,000 for a return journey - for their metal marvels to be flown around 3,000 miles, and often leave them parked up on the streets of Knightsbridge.

Qatar Airways is one such airline that ships the luxury cars from Doha to Heathrow. Secured to the floor of one of their Airbus A330s, the precious cargo can either be accommodated in a single row or in a side-by-side configuration.

Using their main and lower deck, the airline offers 31 positions on each flight.

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Car owners from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait will happily pay a small fortune - in excess of £20,000 for a return journey - for their metal marvels to be flown around 3,000 miles, and often leave them parked up on the streets of London. At this week's Dubai Airshow, the Qatar Airways Cargo A330-200F freighter showed off its cargo-loading capabilities

Qatar Airways provided a demonstration using the latest from the Mercedes-Benz AMG product line of luxury automobiles

Daniel Hallworth, managing director of Dan Car Logistics, which specialises in air freight, told MailOnline: 'The Arabs often use agents to arrange their cars to be flown to the UK - and some of these guys can have two or three cars that they bring over for just one month.

'Once here, they can legally drive it for up to two months.

'A lot of them tour - so they may come to London for a bit and then truck their vehicle to much sunnier places like Marbella to extend their fun.'

Mr Hallworth, whose company is based in Manchester, said that a car such as a Ferrari or McLaren can cost up to £5,000 to transport each way, while a Bugatti Veyron would be about £6,000 per journey.

Once secured to the floor of their Airbus A330, Qatar Airways' precious cargo can either be accommodated in a single row or in a side-by-side configuration

Using their main and lower deck, the airline can offer 31 positions on each flight

Daniel Hallworth, director of Dan Car Logistics, which specialises in air freight, told MailOnline: 'The Arabs often use agents to arrange their cars to be flown to the UK - and some of these guys can have two or three cars that they bring over for just one month.' Above, a Lamborghini seen last night in south-west London

A Lamborghini Aventador, valued at £280,000, sits on one of Dan Car Logistics' pallets, as it prepares to be transported

A £150,000-plus blue Ferrari 458 Italia which had been given a customised spider-web wrap by its Qatari owner. It was seen last night in Sloane Street, south-west London

This gold-plated Range Rover drew admiring glances from other drivers as it made its way through London

Larger cars, including a Rolls-Royce Phantom or 4x4s, cost from £7,000 to £12,000 return.

A fleet of some such supercars have descended on south-west London - many owned by sons of sheikhs to escape the Middle East's baking mid-summer months.

Among the outrageous wheels parked on Sloane Street were a £150,000-plus blue Ferrari 458 Italia which had been given a customised spider-web wrap by its Qatari owner and an orange McLaren - yours for around £165,000.

The vehicles spotted in central London over the past few weeks - following the end of Ramadan - often attract the attention of tourists and car enthusiasts, who are intrigued by the tailor-made versions of famous models from car manufacturers including Lamborghini and Bentley.

Once they arrive, some of the over-the-top autos attract the attention of the police too - due to incorrect registration plates and insurance or parking regulation breaches.

Residents in affluent Knightsbridge have complained that some drivers are allegedly behaving in an anti-social manner, revving the cars and treating the exclusive area as their personal racetrack - although there is no suggestion any of the cars pictured are being investigated by the police.

Many of the cars seen here are owned by rich Arab playboys who have brought them over to Britain for just a few weeks to escape the Middle East's baking mid-summer months. Above, a McLaren supercar, worth around £160,000

'A lot of them tour - so they may come to London for a bit and then truck their vehicle to much sunnier places like Marbella to extend their fun,' said Mr Hallworth. Above, a Rolls-Royce parked opposite Versace (naturally)

A white Lamborghini Aventador was among the supercars spotted in London last night - and they often attract the attention of tourists and car enthusiasts

The vehicles spotted in central London over the past few weeks - following the end of Ramadan - often attract the attention of tourists Onlookers gawp at two supercars in south-west London. The car owners are usually here for about one month

A fellow traveller marvels at a neighbouring white Ferrari. The unusual vehicles can prove quite a distraction

There are car doors... and then there are car doors, as this McLaren shows

Two supercars have a 'face off' on the streets of London as they both bid to attract attention Once they arrive, some of the over-the-top autos attract the attention of the police too - due to incorrect registration plates and insurance or parking regulation breaches Wherever they go these flashy autos attract attention for their owners as these photos show A bright yellow supercar attracts attention outside London's Harrods which is often a major draw for wealthy foreign visitors