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 greatest industry program in Las Vegas high-end jets are luring buyers with their sleek silhouettes, plush cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display novel types of air travel fuel considered less damaging to the climate, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually acquiesced ecological pressure on aviation and committed to halving carbon emissions by 2050 to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to suppress emissions could make service jets more attractive to environmentally mindful purchasers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets could also spare the abundant and popular the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on screen in Las Vegas are using 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," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief industrial 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 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 total annual carbon emissions internationally, but can give off, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

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

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his itinerary have actually added fresh obstacles for an industry already aiming to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

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

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

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

Environmentalists and some experts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, usually combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public understandings about luxury travel.

"No quantity of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from company jet operators for eco-friendly 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, might broaden production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

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

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

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