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 market program in Las Vegas high-end jets are drawing buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to showcase unique types of air travel fuel deemed less harmful to the environment, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have bowed to ecological pressure on air travel and devoted to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to suppress emissions could make company jets more appealing to environmentally conscious purchasers - specifically corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets might also spare the rich and popular the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a current personal jet journey to southern France.

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

The most recent waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," said 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."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions worldwide, but can emit, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his occasional use of private jets to ensure his household's safety, and has said that on the uncommon celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have added fresh challenges for an industry already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel use will assist the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to market information, billionaires only have a 19% business jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out planes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts stay skeptical that biojetfuels, normally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public understandings about luxury travel.

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

Demand from business 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, might expand production approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and consultants are also seeing more interest from clients who want to buy 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 just recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

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