The government says UKADS will be fully operational by the end of this year.
Changes to the airspace over London are not expected until the 2030s, and could be delivered in stages given the scale and complexity.
Some changes to routes outside London could be seen before 2030.
Tim Alderslade, the head of trade body Airlines UK, said the changes to UK airspace were "long overdue".
"We look forward to working with ministers and all parts of UK aviation to complete a once in a generation infrastructure programme as quickly as possible and ideally by the end of the decade," he added.
Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2 called the announcement "excellent news" and called for "swift action".
"We have been calling for the modernisation of airspace for years, as it has been proven to be a key driver in achieving CO2 reductions," he said.
However, Cagne, an aviation and environment group for Kent, Surrey and Sussex, warned the plans could mean new flight paths over houses that are not currently affected.
Rosie Downes, head of campaigns at environmental group Friends of the Earth, said: "What's needed is fewer flights, not more - and planned expansion at Heathrow and Gatwick, which the government has said it's 'minded to approve', would lead to hundreds more flights every day.
"It's also likely that redesigning flight paths will expose even more communities to noise and air pollution, putting their physical health and wellbeing at risk."
