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 streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display unique forms of air travel fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to suppress emissions could make service jets more attractive to ecologically mindful purchasers - specifically corporations facing questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating private jets might also spare the abundant and well-known the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent personal jet journey to southern France.

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

The most recent waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial 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 show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, however can emit, usually, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has defended his occasional usage of personal jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually stated that on the uncommon occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his travel plan have added fresh difficulties for a market currently striving to justify its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including making use of private jets are unfortunate when you think about that our industry has delivered fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to market data, billionaires only have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including pumps for going to airplanes - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

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

"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make company jets look eco-friendly," said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from service jet operators for sustainable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could expand production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from consumers who want to purchase 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 study his company recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I think that cost, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe individuals are becoming more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)