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 market show in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting purchasers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display novel forms of air travel fuel considered less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to suppress emissions could make service jets more appealing to environmentally mindful purchasers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less contaminating private jets might likewise spare the abundant and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

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

The latest 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 manufacturer 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 screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel blends expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, however can emit, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of personal jets to ensure his family's safety, and has stated that on the unusual 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 challenges for an industry currently striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of private jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has actually provided fuel performance improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting aircrafts - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

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

"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from organization jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could expand production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from clients who desire 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 role in a business jet utilization research study his business recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

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