By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest industry show in Las Vegas high-end jets are luring purchasers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel kinds of aviation fuel considered less damaging to the climate, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airline companies, have bowed to ecological pressure on air travel and committed to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.
Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions could make organization jets more attractive to environmentally mindful purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.
The accessibility of less polluting 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 current personal jet trip to southern France.
Five Gulfstream jets on display in Las Vegas are using California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.
The newest waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief business officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.
"All of our item is inedible."
Some of the other 79 airplane on display screen 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 annual carbon emissions worldwide, however can emit, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.
Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his occasional usage of personal jets to guarantee his household's safety, and has actually said that on the uncommon 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 currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.
"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of private jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will assist the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to market information, billionaires just have a 19% business jet ownership rate.
But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting planes - is unlikely to satisfy all at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.
Environmentalists and some experts stay skeptical that biojetfuels, normally mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.
"No quantity of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make organization jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from organization jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.
World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, might broaden production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.
Corporate charter companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from customers who want to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.
Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a role in a business jet usage research study his company recently completed 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) chauffeur. But I believe people are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)
1
Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
Wiley Lovett edited this page 2025-01-11 21:19:14 +00:00