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1 Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring buyers with their streamlined shapes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their usage of alternative fuels.

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

Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually bowed to environmental pressure on air travel and devoted to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions could make organization jets more attractive to environmentally mindful buyers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less polluting private jets might likewise spare the abundant and popular the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent personal jet trip to southern France.

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

The newest waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial 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 airplane on display are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, however can release, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has defended his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his family's safety, and has actually said that on the uncommon celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh difficulties for a market already aiming to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

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

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

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on renewable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting airplanes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

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

"No quantity of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make business jets look eco-friendly," said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from service jet operators for sustainable 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 expand production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and specialists are also seeing more interest from customers who want to buy carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

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

"At the end of the day, I think that rate, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I think individuals are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)