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 industry show in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display novel kinds of air travel fuel considered less damaging to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have bowed to ecological pressure on aviation and dedicated to halving carbon by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to curb emissions could make organization jets more appealing to ecologically conscious buyers - particularly corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets might also spare the rich and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent personal jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on screen in Las Vegas are using California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.

The current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary business officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

Some of the other 79 airplane on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel blends expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions globally, but can give off, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has safeguarded his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually stated that on the uncommon occasions 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 an industry already aiming to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

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

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

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, typically blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial impact 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 service jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond 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 specialists are also 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 corporate jet utilization research study his company recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

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