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 greatest industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting purchasers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to novel kinds of air travel fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have actually acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and devoted to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

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

The schedule of less contaminating private jets could also spare the abundant and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a recent private jet journey 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," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic use of private jets to ensure his family's safety, and has stated that on the uncommon celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his schedule have actually added fresh difficulties for a market currently striving to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has provided fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

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

"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make service 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, could broaden production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and experts are likewise seeing more interest from consumers who want 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 business jet utilization study his business recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I think that price, cost per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe individuals are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)