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 show in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to display novel kinds of air travel fuel considered less hazardous to the climate, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to curb emissions might make organization jets more appealing to ecologically mindful purchasers - specifically corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The accessibility of less polluting private jets might likewise spare the rich and popular the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

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

The most current waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

Some of the other 79 airplane on display are to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, but can produce, usually, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

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

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his itinerary have actually added fresh difficulties for an industry already striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the usage of personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our industry has delivered fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the market make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to industry information, billionaires just have a 19% organization jet ownership rate.

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on renewable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting airplanes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, usually mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public understandings about luxury travel.

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

Demand from company jet operators for renewable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, might expand production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

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

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

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