Motorway drivers on lookout for Boeing 747 being driven up country

The fuselage of the 747 departed from the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire at around 9.30am, heading towards the M5, which it travelled on for 50 miles.

It then joined the M6, followed by the M60, eventually arriving at Barton Airport in Salford, Greater Manchester, at around 2.30pm.

Police had to escort the 'abnormal load' and warned motorists of potential delays.

Gloucestershire Police tweeted: "We're escorting an abnormal load from Kemble Airfield & on the #M5 from 9.30am today (Thurs).

"The route the 5.8m wide aircraft fuselage will take is A429, A419, A417, joining M5 north at 11a. This will continue in our county through to junction 8 & is expected to cause delays."

Motorists have been monitoring its progress and trying to catch a glimpse of the aircraft on the motorway; after all, it's not every day you get to see a plane on the motorway.

Now in its new home up north, the plane is to become a tourist attraction, and airline memorabilia company Doors2Manual plan to use it as a backdrop for weddings and conferences, as well as for educational purposes.

The website for 'The Deck' - as it has been dubbed - reads: "Welcome to The Deck, a Boeing 747 experience brought to you by Doors2Manual!

"We are working hard behind the scenes to save the cockpit and top deck of ex British Airways Boeing 747-436 G-BYGA and re-home her at Manchester City Airport to be preserved and enjoyed by many for years to come!"

Doors2Manual saved the plane from the scrapheap, and the co-founder of the company, Drew Hanna, said doing so was the 'biggest thrill'.

"I don't think many of us will have witnessed a Boeing 747 driving up the motorway before so it’s set to be a sight many families and flight fanatics will never forget.

"We've been able to build Doors2Manual into one of the world's leading suppliers of airline memorabilia and parts.

"Now being able to salvage such a significant part of an iconic aircraft is our biggest thrill so far."