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 program in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to display novel types of air travel fuel deemed less hazardous to the environment, from used cooking oil to the clearly less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have bowed to environmental pressure on air travel and committed to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to might make company jets more attractive to ecologically mindful buyers - specifically corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less contaminating private jets could likewise spare the abundant and famous the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half 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 current waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," 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 product is inedible."

Some of the other 79 aircraft on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions globally, however can release, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his occasional use of private jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually stated that on the uncommon celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say events such as the furore over his schedule have included fresh obstacles for an industry currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

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

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

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out aircrafts - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, typically blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial influence on public perceptions about luxury travel.

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

Demand from business jet operators for renewable 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, might broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from customers who desire 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 utilization research study his business recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

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