UK airspace to start reopening on Tuesday

A grounded British Airways jet is seen parked at City Airport in London April 19, 2009.

LONDON (Reuters) - British airspace will start to reopen to flights from 0600 GMT on Tuesday after levels of volcanic ash from Iceland declined, UK air traffic controllers said on Monday.

The volcanic eruption in southern Iceland has reduced and is not emitting ash to altitudes that would affect Britain, National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which controls UK airspace, said in a statement.

Airspace in Scotland and northern England will open first and restrictions in the rest of England and Wales may be lifted later on Tuesday, the national air traffic control body said.

"Assuming there are no further significant ash emissions we are now looking at a continuously improving situation," it said.

"This is a dynamic and changing situation and is therefore difficult to forecast beyond 0700 (BST) local.

It is now for airports and airlines to decide how best to utilize this opportunity."

NATS said it would issue a further update at 2000 GMT on Monday. British airspace was closed last Thursday because of fears that the volcanic ash could cause planes' engines to fail.

Millions of passengers have been stranded or had their travel disrupted across northern Europe.