Birmingham Airport hopeful flights will begin again on Tuesday
It is hoped that flights from Birmingham Airport will finally start again on Tuesday after air traffic control company Nats lifted restrictions for Scotland and part of northern England.
After days without any flights above the UK due to volcanic ash, Nats said that Scottish airspace would open at 7am on Tuesday.
Airspace south to a line between Teesside and Blackpool will also be open, with the hope that restrictions over the rest of England and Wales, including Birmingham will be lifted later in the day, Nats said.
Nats said: "The volcanic eruption has reduced and the volcano is not currently emitting ash to altitudes that will affect the UK. Assuming there are no further significant ash emissions, we are now looking at a continuously improving situation.
"This is a dynamic and changing situation and is therefore difficult to forecast beyond 7am tomorrow.
"However, the latest Met Office advice is that the contaminated area will continue to move south, with the possibility that restrictions to airspace above England and Wales, including the London area, may be lifted later tomorrow.
"It is now for airports and airlines to decide how best to utilise this opportunity. Passengers should contact their airlines to find out how this will affect their travel plans."
The news will come as an enormous relief to cash-strapped airlines and the estimated 150,000 Britons stranded abroad by the flights ban.
The go-ahead for flights came as airlines pointed to successful test flights through closed airspace as a reason for lifting restrictions.
