Volcanic ash: latest on airport closures
Updated on 20 April 2010
National Air Traffic Service (Nats) says most of UK airspace will remain closed for flights below 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) until 0100 BST due to the presence of volcanic ash in the atmosphere.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers have been stranded in the UK and abroad since the unprecedented shutdown of UK airspace last Thursday.
In its latest bulletin issued at 1500 BST, Nats said flights would be able to continue to take off from and land at Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh airports in Scotland, as well as Newcastle airport.
Across the country passengers are urged to check with their airline for the latest information on individual flights in and out of Europe.
The Foreign Office also has a comprehensive guide for travellers stranded abroad and in the UK.
Flights reopening
Flight restrictions will remain in place in the UK until at least 1am Wednesday except for Scotland and northern England, Nats said this afternoon.
There will be no flights taking off south of Newcastle - including the London airports - until at least 1am tomorrow.
Newcastle airport was able to reopen with the first flight arriving before 1000 this morning from Aberdeen - and
between 1930 and midnight, 11 Thompson flights are expected to arrive from Europe.
Inverness, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports are open but only with a limited programme of flights. Glasgow and airport will be open between 7pm tonight and 1am tomorrow.
Madrid hub
At least 150 coaches will be available to drive passengers from Madrid airport back to Britain.
Airspace remains partially closed
Despite the partial opening of airspace to the north Nats have said that there will be no outbound flights before 1am at the earliest in the rest of Britain.
Nats did say planes could fly at 20,000ft over UK airspace, allowing in-bound flights to land at airports in northern England and Scotland.
Airports in Wales, Northern Ireland and the rest of England remain closed with the traffic control company advising that the skies are still too hazardous for commercial flying.
Last night Nats had hoped for a gradual return to services from UK airports, with the threat from the Icelandic volcano easing.
But with further volcanic activity altering the situation the airport shutdown over most of the UK seems set to continue.
BA has cancelled all long-haul flights due to arrive in the UK before 12 noon tomorrow. More than a dozen long-haul BA flights have taken off from Beijing and are hoping to land in Heathrow.
Flybe has cancelled all remaining flights for today.
The traffic control company did say that between 1300 and 1900 this evening aircraft will be able to operate at above 20,000ft in UK airspace.
