UKRAINIANS living and working in the St Albans area will find it much easier to visit home with eight flights a week from Luton airport.

The airline Wizz Air Ukraine started four flights a week to the capital Kiev in December, and has just launched a new service, also four times a week, to the western city of Lvov.

An airport spokesman said: "Wizz Air Ukraine offers low fares, convenient and easy travel to Ukrainians working and studying abroad as well as attracting many British passengers who already know the Wizz Air brand and who can now experience all that the Ukraine has to offer."

Natalie Raper, the airport’s marketing director said: “We are delighted to make the Ukraine as accessible as any other European country to many millions of travellers and look forward to working closely with Wizz Air on the development of further new routes”.

Although Ukrainians, unlike their Polish neighbours, do not have automatic entry into Britain through EU membership, growing numbers are seeking short-term employment and residence here.