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 greatest market show in Las Vegas high-end jets are tempting purchasers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique types of aviation fuel considered less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions could make organization jets more appealing to ecologically conscious buyers - specifically corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets might likewise spare the rich and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current personal jet journey to southern France.

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

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

"All of our item is inedible."

Some of the other 79 aircraft on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions globally, but can release, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

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

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have actually included fresh challenges for an industry already striving to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to planes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, usually blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

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

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

Corporate charter companies and consultants are also seeing more interest from customers who wish to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

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

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