The UK's secretary of state for exiting the European Union has indicated that the country may not have access to EU-US open skies after its departure from the bloc.

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Asked during a select committee hearing whether the UK would no longer be part of the open-skies agreement post-Brexit, David Davis responded: "Not that agreement." And he added: "One would presume that would not apply to us – doesn't say anything about whether there would be a successor."

The UK's liberalised access to US markets is underpinned by the open-skies deal, which also regulates rules for investment in EU airlines by US investors and vice versa.

Speaking last year at the Airport Operators Association conference in London, UK transport secretary Chris Grayling said it was "vital that we seek to quickly replace EU-based third-country agreements, like the US [open skies] and Canada", adding: "That's something we are working on at the moment."