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 market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined shapes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to showcase unique types of aviation fuel considered less damaging to the climate, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have bowed to environmental pressure on aviation and committed to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions could make business jets more attractive to environmentally mindful buyers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets might likewise spare the abundant and popular the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a current private jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on screen 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 byproducts of the food market," said 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 airplane on screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

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

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his schedule have included fresh difficulties for an industry currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will help the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to industry information, billionaires just have a 19% business jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out planes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

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

"No amount 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 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 broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from customers who want to buy carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

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

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