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 luxury jets are enticing buyers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel forms of air travel fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to curb emissions could make company jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - specifically corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The availability of less contaminating personal jets could likewise spare the rich and well-known the negative 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 display in Las Vegas are utilizing California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.

The most recent waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions worldwide, however can produce, usually, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has safeguarded his occasional use of private jets to guarantee his family's safety, and has said that on the unusual occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his itinerary have added fresh challenges for a market currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving using personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has provided fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will help the industry make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to industry data, billionaires only have a 19% business 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 not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay skeptical that biojetfuels, usually mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant impact on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from service jet operators for renewable 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 approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and experts are also seeing more interest from clients who desire to buy 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 research study his business just recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

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