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

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

Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually bowed to ecological pressure on aviation and devoted to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to could make business jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - particularly corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less contaminating personal jets might also spare the rich and popular the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a current personal jet trip to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief business officer of Boston-based biofuel producer 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 expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel blends expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions internationally, however can produce, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his occasional use of personal jets to ensure his family's safety, and has said that on the unusual celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say events such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh difficulties for a market currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

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

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out aircrafts - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, generally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from service jet operators for sustainable 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 up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

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

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

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