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

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By Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest industry program in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing buyers with their sleek silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique kinds of air travel fuel deemed less harmful to the environment, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions might make organization jets more appealing to ecologically mindful buyers - especially corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The schedule of less polluting private jets could also spare the abundant and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

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

The latest waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," 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."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, but can discharge, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has safeguarded his periodic use of private jets to ensure his household's safety, and has stated that on the uncommon events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his schedule have actually added fresh difficulties for an industry currently striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has actually provided fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will help the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. 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 aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, usually blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect 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 service jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

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

Corporate charter companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from clients who desire 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 usage research study his company recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

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