Wizz Air has sought ​U.S. approval to operate flights between the UK and the ⁠United States, as the budget carrier aims to tap the lucrative transatlantic ⁠market after ‌scaling back its Middle East expansion plans last year.

The airline's UK subsidiary has petitioned the ⁠U.S. Department of Transportation for an exemption and foreign air carrier permit to operate scheduled and chartered flights between the two countries, requesting authority to begin services "as soon ⁠as possible", a filing ​dated Friday showed.

Wizz Air UK was seeking the permission to launch ‍passenger services under the 2020 Air Transport Agreement between the two countries, ​known as the Open Skies Agreement.

The carrier said it initially intends to conduct only passenger charter service based on seasonal and customer demand, though it was seeking broader authority for future scheduled flights.

The airline had said in July last year it was exiting its loss-making Abu Dhabi operations to focus on its main eastern European market as escalating ⁠political tensions in the Middle East ‌wiped out its ambition of expansion in the region.

The airline declined to comment. The U.S. DoT ‌did not immediately ⁠respond to a Reuters request for comment.

(Reporting by Raechel ⁠Thankam Job in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)