TOULOUSE, 2 June 2025 – Ascendance, the hybrid-electric aviation innovator headquartered in Toulouse, has appointed former French Minister of Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari to its Strategic Advisory Committee. The move marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing evolution as it scales up industrial operations and sets its sights on global expansion.
Jean-Baptiste Djebbari brings with him a powerful blend of aeronautical, industrial, and governmental experience. A graduate of both ENAC (École Nationale de l’Aviation Civile) and École Polytechnique, he began his career as an airline pilot before transitioning into business aviation as Director of Operations at JetFly, a prominent European operator of small aircraft. In 2017, he entered politics as a Member of the French National Assembly and became Minister of Transport in 2019. During his tenure, he spearheaded key initiatives including rail modernisation, low-carbon mobility investment, and France’s first policies for sustainable aviation.
Now a Managing Partner at Magellim Infrastructure—a fund focused on clean energy and sustainable mobility—Djebbari also advises investment firms and sits on the boards of several high-tech ventures, including E-Space, Look Up Space, and Evera. His advisory portfolio reflects a firm commitment to environmental innovation and advanced technology.
“Jean-Baptiste’s arrival is a real catalyst for structuring our international development,” said Jean-Christophe Lambert, CEO and co-founder of Ascendance. “His unique expertise and broad perspective—at the crossroads of aerospace, sustainable mobility, and renewable energy—complement our advisory board as we enter a new phase of growth.”
Djebbari echoed this sentiment: “Joining Ascendance means supporting a company that made the strategic choice for hybrid-electric from day one, with ambitious and rigorous technologies that meet the expectations of a global market seeking credible solutions to decarbonise aviation.”
He joins an already formidable advisory team that includes Jean-Paul Herteman (former CEO of Safran), Agnès Plagneux-Bertrand (Vice President of Toulouse Métropole), Jean-Christophe Kugler (formerly of Renault), Thierry Tea (ex-Airbus Helicopters Philippines), and Andreas Löwenstein (formerly of Airbus and Kopter Group).
Founded in 2018, Ascendance is developing two major products: STERNA, its proprietary hybrid-electric propulsion system, and ATEA, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft powered by this technology. Based in Europe’s aeronautical heartland, Ascendance continues to position itself at the forefront of sustainable aviation.
SOURCE AND IMAGE: ASCENDANCE
