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 luxury jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display novel types of air travel fuel deemed less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually acquiesced environmental pressure on aviation and dedicated to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions could make business jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - especially corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating private jets might also spare the abundant and famous the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display 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 market," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary business officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

Some of the other 79 aircraft on display screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions internationally, however can release, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has defended his periodic usage of private jets to guarantee his household's security, and has actually said that on the uncommon occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state occurrences such as the furore over his itinerary have actually added fresh challenges for a market already striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including using personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our industry has delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to industry data, billionaires just have a 19% business 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 visiting planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, generally mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from organization jet operators for sustainable 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 approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and experts are also seeing more interest from customers who desire to buy carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

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

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