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 market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing buyers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel types of aviation fuel considered less damaging to the environment, from used cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions could make business jets more attractive to environmentally conscious purchasers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less contaminating personal jets might also spare the abundant and well-known the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

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

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

"All of our product is inedible."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel blends expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions internationally, however can give off, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually stated that on the uncommon celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state occurrences such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh obstacles for an industry currently making every effort to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including using personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has actually provided fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to planes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, usually mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from service jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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

Corporate charter business and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from customers who wish to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a function in a usage research 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 performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe individuals are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)