During a series of interviews with broadcast media, Raab admitted there was “always a risk of a legal challenge” if air corridors between the UK and some other countries are created.

“There is a risk of legal challenge if you open up for one country and not others, so we want to make sure we can open up as soon as we can safely and responsibly do so,” he said in an interview on BBC Breakfast on Thursday (18 June).

“If you open up the airports and don’t open up the Eurotunnel, or if you open up to one country but not in relation to others, there’s always a risk of legal challenge.”

A potential air bridge or travel corridor between the UK and France is expected to be discussed at talks between prime minister Boris Johnson and French president Emmanuel Macron being held in London on Thursday.

The government has said it has been looking at the possibility of establishing air bridges between the UK and other countries with low Covid-19 infection rates. The industry is also pushing for these kinds of arrangements to avoid quarantine periods for travellers.