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 luxury jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display unique kinds of aviation fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to curb emissions could make service jets more appealing to environmentally mindful purchasers - specifically corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets could likewise spare the rich and famous the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current personal jet trip to southern France.

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

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

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions globally, but can discharge, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his occasional usage of personal jets to ensure his family's security, and has actually said that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have actually included fresh challenges for an industry already aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving using personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has provided fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to industry data, billionaires only have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

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

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

Demand from service 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, could expand production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and specialists are also seeing more interest from consumers who wish to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated emissions contributed in a business jet usage study his company recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I think that rate, cost per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe people are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)