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 high-end jets are enticing purchasers with their smooth shapes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel kinds of aviation fuel deemed less harmful to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to curb emissions could make company jets more attractive to ecologically mindful buyers - specifically corporations facing questions over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less contaminating personal jets could likewise spare the rich and well-known the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other 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 include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

Some of the other 79 airplane on screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his periodic use of private jets to guarantee his family's security, and has said that on the uncommon celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his itinerary have actually added fresh obstacles for a market already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the usage 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 thinks increased sustainable fuel use will help the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to market information, billionaires only have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out planes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

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

"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make organization jets look eco-friendly," said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

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

Corporate charter companies and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from customers who want 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 usage study his business just recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

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