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 greatest industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel forms of air travel fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that fuel to curb emissions could make organization jets more attractive to ecologically mindful buyers - particularly corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets might also spare the abundant and well-known the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a recent private jet journey 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 industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his occasional usage of personal jets to ensure his family's safety, and has actually said that on the unusual celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his schedule have actually added fresh obstacles for a market currently making every effort to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the usage of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our market has delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the past 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 just have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out airplanes - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

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

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

Demand from business jet operators for sustainable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could broaden production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business 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 contributed in a corporate jet usage research study his company recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

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