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 luxury jets are drawing buyers with their sleek shapes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to display novel kinds of aviation fuel considered less hazardous to the climate, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions might make service jets more attractive to ecologically mindful purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating private jets might also spare the abundant and famous the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a current private jet trip to southern France.

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

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

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions worldwide, however can emit, typically, 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 defended his occasional usage of personal jets to guarantee his family's safety, and has actually stated that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his itinerary have included fresh obstacles for a market already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the usage of private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has actually delivered fuel efficiency 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 industry information, billionaires only have a 19% organization jet ownership rate.

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

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

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

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

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, might expand production approximately 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, said emissions contributed in a corporate jet usage research study his company just recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

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