UK VLJ operator Blink has added a managed Mustang to its fleet, increasing the roster to 16 aircraft. The latest addition will have very limited charter availability but will assist the operator if an aircraft goes tech.

Blink recently acquired fellow Mustang operator Wijet, based in France. “Now that we have a larger fleet, we will have greater availability in our key European hubs including Blackbushe, Paris, Geneva, Milan and Zurich,” says commercial manager Rebecca Cornthwaite. “In turn this will allow us to stretch our familiar operating area.

“In terms of operating to smaller airfields, the Wijet merger is opening up new geographies for us there. These are places that we were not really used to going to as Blink. It is giving us more experience and is very helpful for us; it is something that we can share with the rest of our European clients.”

Wijet's fleet of Mustangs is currently being moved over onto the G register and Blink's AOC. As it stands, two former Wijet aircraft are already G registered, and the operator hopes to re-register the remainder by Christmas. The French crew are also in the process of transferring and retraining to Blink's SOPs. “The aim is to get the aircraft through their winter maintenance. At the beginning of the second quarter all aircraft will be crewed and ready to go. We are undergoing more recruitment at the moment, to make sure that we are fully crewed for those busy summer months,” concludes Cornthwaite.