Ascendance Flight Technologies appoints Stéphane Viala as director of engineering
French start-up Ascendance Flight Technologies has appointed Stéphane Viala as Director of Engineering to oversee the technical management of two flagship programmes: the STERNA modular hybrid propulsion system and the ATEA hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft.
An aeronautical engineer from ISAE-ENSMA, he also holds a PhD in turbulence modelling from SUPAERO/ONERA. He was previously senior VP Engineering and Head Of Design Organization of French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR, which he joined in 2015.
Before that he was at Airbus for 16 years and first headed the aerodynamic methods and A350 flight dynamics teams before leading the A30X flight physics and dynamics integrated team.
He also defined product evolution, multidisciplinary methods and technology as head of overall aircraft Design encompassing flight physics, engine, flight restbed and methods and tools perimeter.
He commented: “My commitment to bringing clean aircraft to the skies and my growing interest in the potential of hybrid propulsion led me to closely follow Ascendance’s progress.
“The project is sound and credible in terms of segment and purpose, and the growing number of letters of intent reflects that. The team is highly skilled, and I share their vision that hybridisation is key to a fast and efficient transition towards green aviation.
“I am delighted to spearhead the technical development of both STERNA and ATEA, and to make aeronautical industry benefit from our hybridisation technology, and to certify and industrialise our ATEA aircraft.”
Ascendence CEO Jean-Christophe Lambert added: “Stéphane Viala performed in all the development and lifecycle phases of an aircraft, from the advanced projects and fly tests to the production and global fleet management.
“We are committed to rapidly deliver the best decarbonisation solutions to the aerospace industry and having Stéphane on board is an incredible value to the team and a major step towards our goals.”
In October last year, Ascendance Technologies and AFI KLM E&M signed a memorandum of understanding to explore partnerships in the field of electrically powered aircraft and sustainable aviation.
In February 2022, Yugo Global Industries signed a contract with Ascendance Flight Technologies to purchase 18 of its ATEA VTOL hybrid-electric aircraft.
