1 Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

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By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest industry program in Las Vegas high-end jets are luring buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique kinds of aviation fuel considered less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually acquiesced ecological pressure on aviation and committed to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions might make organization jets more attractive to ecologically conscious purchasers - specifically corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less polluting private jets could likewise spare the abundant and well-known the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a current private jet journey to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display screen in Las Vegas are using California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.

The most current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

Some of the other 79 airplane on screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel blends expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions globally, but can produce, usually, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has safeguarded his occasional use of personal jets to guarantee his household's safety, and has stated that on the rare events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his itinerary have actually added fresh challenges for an industry already striving to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including making use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has actually provided fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the market make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to industry information, billionaires only have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out airplanes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, normally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public perceptions about luxury travel.

"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make business jets look eco-friendly," said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from company jet operators for sustainable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, might broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter and consultants are also seeing more interest from clients who wish to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated emissions played a role in a corporate jet usage research study his business just recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I think that cost, cost per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I think individuals are ending up being more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)