Story ID: 
UK air-taxi service plans launch
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: European air-taxi service Blink will start operations in May with the first of 30 Citation Mustangs it ordered from Cessna.
Word Count: 183
European air-taxi service Blink will start operations in May with the first of 30 Citation Mustangs it ordered from Cessna. Former investment bankers Peter Leiman and Cameron Ogden launched the London-based group with $30 million in capital. The company completed a round of equity funding last month and is backed by various European investors.Blink flights will be operated by Farnborough-based TAG Aviation (UK) under its commercial air operator’s certificate. The four-passenger Citation Mustangs are due to be delivered over a two-and-a-half-year period, with four entering service by year-end.According to Blink, its services will cost as much as 50 percent less than existing executive charter rates in Europe. The company has so far declined to publish its prices.Initially, Blink’s service area will be restricted to Western Europe. The company plans to establish about six geographical networks within this territory and its Mustangs will generally not leave their assigned base network without passengers on board.Customers can book ad hoc flights through the Blink Focus option. They can also buy blocks of between 25 and 250 hours. No more details about these packages are available.