AeroSvit-Ukrainian Airlines has begun flying out of Gatwick after choosing the airport as its new London base for a route to Kiev.The carrier is offering five weekly trips to the capital of Ukraine which are expected to cater for both business and leisure travellers.Stewart Wingate, Gatwick’s chief executive officer, expects the new flight route to allow around 65,000 passengers to fly directly to Kiev this year.

Business travellers will still want to book travel insurance for their trips, even if it is only for a few days. By doing so, they have extra protection against unforeseen problems which could stop them from catching other flights or attending important meetings.AeroSvit-Ukranian Airlines’ acting director general, Alexander Avdieiev said Gatwick’s “excellent links” to London and south-east England had contributed to its decision to use the airport.

Mr Avdieiev said: “Our direct flight to Kiev will give passengers the choice to not only travel to the capital but to other regions of the Ukraine, such as Frankovsk, Lugansk and Odessa.The airline has become the latest to pick Gatwick as its base for operations in London and the south-east after airberlin recently began servicing routes to Hamburg and Nuremberg in Germany from the airport.