9 FlightCom Magazine
A
SCEND Aviation has become
one of the largest pre-owned
business jet and turbine aircraft
sales organisation in Africa,
based largely on its organic growth on
the back of its core business values – and
its ability to source the best aircraft stock.
The company may be small in terms of
headcount, but it has shown that it is a David
to the Goliath that is the large aircraft sales
organisations which are less able to provide
the customer relationships that market
leading personal service requires.
Ascend Aviation was established
by Maartin Steenkamp in early 2014.
Steenkamp has more than 25 years of
experience in aircraft sales, during which
time he also held a commercial pilot’s
license. For many years he was Sales
Director of the Cessna agent for Southern
Africa. He has sold a wide variety of new
and pre-owned aircraft types to private
and corporate clients. These have ranged
from Cessna piston aircraft and all makes
of turbine aircraft and the full range of
business jets, worldwide.
Ascend Aviation is the product of its
founder’s passionate belief in the personal
attention, relationship-building and
integrity required for service excellence
in this specialised field. Maartin and his
tightly knit team have built the business on
personal relationships, and ensuring that
their clients acquire the right aircraft for
their mission profile and budget – at a price
fair to both buyer and seller. Steenkamp
observes that, “Buying or selling an aircraft
is a very detailed and daunting process.
Aviation sales specialists must not only
possess a peerless understanding of their
field and products, but also of the customers’
needs and relative experience in aviation.”
The expertise involved in selling
aircraft, particularly specialised businessjets, is an informed understanding that
it is no ordinary ‘hardware’ purchase for
customers or companies. Ascend Aviation
has now established a worldwide reputation
for quality sales and service – as evidenced
by the appointment to handle jet sales
exclusively for a Europe based client.
Ascend Aviation has assembled a
team with the experience and abilities to
streamline the entire process for buyers,from selection, budgeting and finance,
through long-term performance and cost
expectations, to ongoing advice and support.
The net result is to make aircraft acquisition
and ownership a rewarding and pleasing
experience.However, acquiring an aircraft remains
an emotive as well as a practical decision,
especially for first-time buyers. Maartin
Steenkamp is ably assisted by Pierre
Kieser, who has over 40 years of experience
succesfully selling aircraft across Africa
and Christian Nellus, who has extensive
experience working with Fortune 500
companies and is based at Ascend’s branch
in Portugal.
Ascend Aviation is not just about
sales. It also provides a comprehensive
range of services to the aviation industry
which cover: Aircraft valuations and
finance, acquisition mandates, plus aircraft
management and insurance. Ascend are also
specialists in arranging ferry flights and the
complex process of aircraft importation and
exportation. They are thus a knowledgeable
and highly reputable one stop agency – able
to offer turn-key solutions for any new or
existing customers aircraft needs.
Ascend Aviation’s key proposition is that
their market knowledge and track record is
greatly respected in the industry and their
customers can therefore be assured that they
are getting the most honest, independent,
objective solutions to their present and
future requirements – the perfect match
of aircraft to customer. Ascend Aviation’s
personal touch and focus on integrity is best
summed up by their credo: “Trustworthy
Sales, Airworthy Excellence.”Ascend Aviation has quietly gone about building an unassailable reputation
as the business jet broker of choice – not just in Africa – but across the world.
ASCEND AVIATION:
TRUE EXPERTISE IN ALL AIRCRAFT SALES NEEDS
Company Profile
Ascend Aviation specialises in relatively young jets and turboprops sales.Maartin Steenkamp has more than 25 years
of providing excellent customer service for
aircraft sales.