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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 show in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing buyers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase unique forms of aviation fuel deemed less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually acquiesced environmental pressure on air travel and committed to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to curb emissions could make service jets more attractive to ecologically conscious purchasers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets could likewise spare the rich and popular the negative publicity by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a current personal jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on 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 byproducts of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions globally, but can give off, typically, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his occasional usage of private jets to ensure his family's security, and has actually said that on the rare events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

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

"Incidents of flight shaming involving using private jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has actually delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will help the industry make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to industry data, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

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

"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from company jet operators for renewable fuels now far surpasses 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 consultants 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 played a function in a business jet utilization research study his business recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

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