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 buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

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

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

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions could make service jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - particularly corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less polluting private jets might also spare the rich and famous the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

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

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

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions internationally, however can emit, typically, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually defended his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually 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 challenges for a market currently striving to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out planes - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, typically combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial influence on public understandings about .

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

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

Corporate charter companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from consumers 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 played a role in a corporate jet usage study his company recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I believe that price, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) motorist. But I think 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)