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 market program in Las Vegas high-end jets are tempting buyers with their sleek shapes, plush cabins - and progressively, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to display novel types of air travel fuel considered less hazardous to the environment, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have acquiesced environmental pressure on air travel and committed to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

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

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

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

The latest 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 producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions worldwide, but can produce, usually, approximately 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 periodic usage of personal jets to ensure his family's security, and has actually stated that on the unusual events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his schedule have added fresh obstacles for a market currently striving to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the market make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to market data, billionaires only have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, typically mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable impact on public understandings about luxury travel.

"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make company jets look eco-friendly," said aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.

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

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

Corporate charter companies and experts are also seeing more interest from clients who want to purchase carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions contributed in a business jet usage study his business recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

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