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 industry program in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing buyers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to forms of aviation fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions might make business jets more appealing to ecologically conscious buyers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets might also spare the abundant and well-known the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current private jet journey to southern France.

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

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

"All of our item is inedible."

Some of the other 79 airplane on screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, but can give off, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually defended his occasional usage of private jets to guarantee his household's safety, and has actually 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 travel plan have actually included fresh difficulties for an industry currently making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the usage of personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has provided 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 rich purchasers. According to market data, billionaires just have a 19% organization jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on renewable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting airplanes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay skeptical that biojetfuels, normally mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable impact on public understandings about luxury travel.

"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make organization jets look eco-friendly," stated aviation expert 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 broaden production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and specialists are likewise 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 study his company recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I think that rate, expense per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe individuals are ending up being more aware of the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)