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 show in Las Vegas high-end jets are drawing purchasers with their sleek silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to display unique types of aviation fuel deemed less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the definitely less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to curb emissions could make service jets more attractive to ecologically conscious purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less polluting personal jets could also spare the rich and popular the negative 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 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 by-products of the food market," said 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."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his occasional usage of private jets to guarantee his household's safety, and has stated that on the rare occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his itinerary have actually included fresh difficulties for an industry already striving to validate its contribution to cutting business expenses.

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

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to industry information, billionaires just have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for visiting airplanes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, generally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant impact on public perceptions about luxury travel.

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

Demand from company jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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

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

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a function in a business jet utilization research study his business recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I believe that price, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) driver. But I think individuals 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)