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 high-end jets are luring purchasers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique kinds of air travel fuel deemed less hazardous to the environment, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to suppress emissions might make company jets more attractive to environmentally conscious purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less contaminating private jets might likewise spare the rich and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a current private jet journey to southern France.

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

The most recent waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief 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 screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

Prince Harry has actually protected his occasional usage of personal jets to guarantee 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 incidents such as the furore over his itinerary have added fresh difficulties for an industry already aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will help the industry make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to industry data, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to airplanes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, normally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial impact on public understandings about luxury travel.

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

Demand from company jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow said.

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

Corporate charter companies and consultants are also seeing more interest from customers who want to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions contributed in a corporate jet utilization study his company just recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

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