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 luxury jets are tempting purchasers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase unique types of air travel fuel considered less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have acquiesced environmental pressure on aviation and devoted to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to suppress emissions could make business jets more attractive to environmentally conscious purchasers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less contaminating personal jets might also spare the rich and famous the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a current private jet journey to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display 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 by-products of the food industry," 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 product is inedible."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display screen are expected 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 internationally, but can produce, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his occasional usage of personal jets to ensure his family's security, and has actually said that on the rare occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his schedule have included fresh obstacles for a market already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

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

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

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out airplanes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

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

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

Demand from company jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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

Corporate charter business and experts are also seeing more interest from consumers who wish to purchase carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

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

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