European aviation authorities are considering adopting the flexible approach to flying near volcanic ash taken by the US and Canada, a spokesman for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said, the Wall Street Journal reported.

If adopted, the guidelines would standardise operating rules across the European Union and offer more leeway for airlines to make decisions about flying in areas potentially affected by ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano. This should result in fewer flight delays and cancellations.

EASA has been holding talks on the issue with airlines, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Canada, the European Commission, European national aviation authorities, Eurocontrol - which oversees air traffic across Europe - and the British office that tracks volcanic ash, said EASA spokesman Daniel Hoeltgen. European authorities have yet to agree on the more relaxed approach, he said.

"The advantage would be a uniform solution for all of Europe," Hoeltgen said. "There would be less discussion of national differences."

European airlines and their associations have recently criticized national regulators for making sharply different interpretations of information on ash concentrations. Some EU countries have closed airspace - forcing flight delays and cancellations - while neighbours kept airways open.

One reason to adopt the US approach, aviation officials say, is that technology isn't currently in place to constantly make accurate, three-dimensional measurements of ash in the atmosphere. Computer models used to model ash flows need refinement

The authorities are also working through the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization to set new global standards.