Planes given six-hour window at Manchester Airport

Planes have been grounded at Manchester Airport since Thursday

Flights at Manchester Airport may be able to take off and land for a period of six hours before the volcanic ash cloud returns again.

The air traffic control body Nats said airports in the north will be able to reopen from 0400 BST until 1000 BST on Saturday.

Flights have been grounded since Thursday due to tiny particles in the cloud which could damage jet engines.

Passengers are still advised to check with their individual airlines.

Earlier, one empty plane out of the three scheduled to leave the airport managed to take off before 1300 BST.

Nats briefly lifted restrictions due to the positioning of the ash cloud.

'Short notice'

The planes were due to fly to Orlando in Florida, Cancun in Mexico and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic to collect stranded holidaymakers.

An airport spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately the window of opportunity was so short notice that it hasn't allowed for any passengers to board."

She said the airport had also allowed two planes to land.

A Thomson flight from Barbados with 280 passengers landed at 1215 BST and a Thomas Cook plane carrying 325 people landed at 1230 BST, the spokeswoman said.

Thousands of passengers have faced disruption at Manchester Airport since the restrictions were first imposed on Thursday morning because of the danger ash poses to aircraft.

Tiny particles of rock, glass and sand in the cloud could damage engines.

A spokeswoman thanked passengers for their "continuing patience".

She said extra staff were on hand to help passengers but urged people to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.