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 most significant market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting buyers with their streamlined shapes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to display unique types of air travel fuel considered less damaging to the environment, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have bowed to environmental pressure on air travel and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to curb emissions might make service jets more appealing to ecologically mindful buyers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets might also spare the rich and well-known the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a current personal jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display 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," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary business 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 screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions internationally, but can discharge, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of private jets to ensure his family's safety, and has stated that on the uncommon events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his schedule have added fresh challenges for a market already aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

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

Environmentalists and some experts remain hesitant that biojetfuels, usually mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

"No quantity of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make business jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from business jet operators for renewable fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could broaden production approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and experts are also seeing more interest from customers who want to buy 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 just recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

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