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 program in Las Vegas high-end jets are luring buyers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and progressively, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display novel kinds of aviation fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to suppress emissions might make company jets more appealing to environmentally conscious buyers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

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

Five Gulfstream jets on display 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 by-products of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief 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 aircraft on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions internationally, however can produce, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of personal jets to guarantee his family's security, and has actually stated that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh challenges for an industry already aiming to justify its contribution to costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the usage of private jets are regrettable when you think about that our industry has delivered fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out airplanes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

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

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

Demand from business jet operators for renewable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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 consultants are also seeing more interest from consumers who want to purchase carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

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

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