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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 greatest industry show in Las Vegas high-end jets are drawing buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase novel forms of aviation fuel deemed less damaging to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to suppress emissions might make business jets more appealing to ecologically mindful buyers - specifically corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The schedule of less polluting private jets could likewise spare the rich and popular the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a recent personal jet journey to southern France.

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

The latest waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products 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 product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions worldwide, but can give off, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually defended his periodic usage of private jets to ensure his family's security, and has actually stated that on the unusual events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say events such as the furore over his itinerary have added fresh obstacles for a market already making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our market has actually delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft 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 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial effect on public understandings about luxury travel.

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

Demand from organization jet operators for renewable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest could 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 companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from clients who wish to credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions contributed in a corporate jet utilization research study his company recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I think that rate, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) motorist. But I believe people are ending up being more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)