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 biggest industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting purchasers with their sleek shapes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display unique types of air travel fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from used cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have acquiesced environmental pressure on aviation and devoted to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to suppress emissions might make organization jets more attractive to ecologically mindful buyers - especially corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less polluting private jets might also spare the abundant and popular the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent personal jet trip to southern France.

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

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

"All of our item is inedible."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display screen 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 produce, usually, approximately 20 times more per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has defended his periodic usage of personal jets to ensure his household's security, and has actually said that on the unusual events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his travel plan have actually added fresh challenges for a market already aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the market make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to industry data, billionaires just have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

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

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, usually combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant influence on public understandings about high-end travel.

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

Demand from organization jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, might expand production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from customers who want to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

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

"At the end of the day, I believe that price, cost per hour, variety, 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 impacts the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)