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 program in Las Vegas luxury jets are enticing buyers with their sleek shapes, plush cabins - and progressively, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and are keen to display unique forms of aviation fuel considered less damaging to the climate, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions might make organization jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - especially corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less polluting private jets might likewise spare the abundant and famous the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current 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 current waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions internationally, but can produce, typically, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his periodic usage of private jets to ensure his household's security, and has stated that on the rare events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have included fresh obstacles for a market currently making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to market information, billionaires only have a 19% service 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 visiting planes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay skeptical that biojetfuels, usually mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant influence on public perceptions about luxury travel.

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

Demand from organization jet operators for sustainable fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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

Corporate charter business and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from customers who wish to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

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

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