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 most significant market show in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring buyers with their smooth silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel types of aviation fuel deemed less damaging to the environment, from used to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to suppress emissions might make business jets more attractive to ecologically conscious buyers - particularly corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less contaminating personal jets could likewise spare the abundant and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a recent personal jet trip to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions globally, but can release, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of personal jets to ensure his household's security, and has stated that on the rare events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his travel plan have included fresh obstacles for an industry already aiming to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

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

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

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

Environmentalists and some experts remain hesitant that biojetfuels, normally mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant influence on public understandings about high-end travel.

"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," said aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from business jet operators for sustainable fuels now far goes beyond 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 up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and specialists are also seeing more interest from clients 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 role in a corporate jet utilization research study his business just recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

"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 individuals are becoming more conscious of the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)