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 industry program in Las Vegas high-end jets are drawing purchasers with their streamlined silhouettes, plush cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display unique types of air travel fuel deemed less damaging to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to curb emissions might make company jets more attractive to ecologically conscious buyers - specifically corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets might likewise spare the rich and famous the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a current personal jet journey to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display 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 industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions internationally, but can emit, usually, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has safeguarded his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his household's security, and has stated that on the uncommon occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have added fresh challenges for a market currently making every effort to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including using personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our industry has delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for visiting aircrafts - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts stay skeptical that biojetfuels, generally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable impact on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from business jet operators for sustainable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might 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 business and experts are also seeing more interest from consumers who desire to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a function in a corporate jet usage research study his business recently for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I think that price, expense per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe people are becoming more aware of the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)