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 industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring buyers with their smooth shapes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel kinds of aviation fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and devoted to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

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

The availability of less contaminating personal jets could likewise spare the abundant and famous the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a current 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 by-products of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total emissions internationally, however can give off, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his periodic usage of private jets to guarantee his family's security, and has actually said that on the uncommon events 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 an industry already making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our industry has provided fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will help the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to market information, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

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

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

Demand from company jet operators for eco-friendly 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, could broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

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

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

"At the end of the day, I think that cost, cost per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe individuals are becoming more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)