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 most significant market show in Las Vegas high-end jets are luring buyers with their smooth silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display novel types of air travel fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the distinctly less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have bowed to environmental pressure on air travel and committed to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions could make organization jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The availability of less polluting private jets might also spare the abundant and popular the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent 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 recent waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display 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 represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions globally, however can emit, typically, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has actually defended his periodic usage of private jets to ensure his safety, and has stated that on the rare occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say events such as the furore over his travel plan have actually added fresh difficulties for an industry currently making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving using personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has actually provided fuel effectiveness enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to industry data, billionaires just have a 19% business jet ownership rate.

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, normally mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public understandings about high-end travel.

"No quantity of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from company jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest could 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 business and consultants are also seeing more interest from customers who wish to buy carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

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

"At the end of the day, I think that price, expense per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe individuals are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)