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Peter Leiman, md and co-founder, says Blink remains committed to building a pan-European Mustang based operation. "With seven Mustangs currently in operation we can see the efficiencies that come from scale. Over the past two years of revenue operation, we have proven many aspects of our original business plan such as high asset utilisation, leveraging of technology, and lowering of fixed costs."
He adds: "In 2010, we slowed our originally planned capacity growth but remain committed to fleet expansion. We will recommence aircraft deliveries later this year and continue with further fleet expansion next year. A smaller business model is not the way to go but in the growth stage, prudent decisions need to be made which will ensure a long term future."
Blink now operates from three year-round bases in London, Geneva and the Channel Islands and seasonal bases in the south of France, the Balearic Islands, and Sardinia. "This ensures we have a strong footprint in which to cover pan-European travel needs," Leiman says.
Blink is not focused on the event and pleasure trip sector in particular. "It is one vertical within an overall sales and marketing strategy. Overall, we have created products that appeal to a wide variety of audiences from frequent travellers to once-a-year travellers to those that have never flown privately before. Averaged across the year, 70 per cent of our users are business travellers who are taking either day trips or multi-city return trips.
"While we experience seasonal variation with an increase in leisure demand during the summer, the business traveller remains our core client base."
Leiman says Blink has experienced a strong rebound in traffic throughout 2010 from the lows of 2009. "Underpinned by strong contract demand and loyal repeat customers, we remain optimistically hopeful that the recovery will continue in the second half of 2010 and into 2011. Having consolidated our business in 2010, we believe we are well positioned to benefit from a period sustained demand going forward," he says.
