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 high-end jets are drawing purchasers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel kinds of aviation fuel considered 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 devoted to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions might make business jets more appealing to environmentally conscious purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets could also spare the rich and well-known the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent personal jet journey to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer 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 anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions internationally, however can produce, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

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

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his schedule have included fresh obstacles for an industry currently striving to validate its to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including using private jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel use will assist the market 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 eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to airplanes - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, generally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public perceptions about luxury travel.

"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make organization jets look eco-friendly," said aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from business jet operators for renewable 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, might expand production approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

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

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