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 market show in Las Vegas high-end jets are drawing buyers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display unique forms of aviation fuel deemed less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and devoted to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions might make service jets more attractive to environmentally mindful purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets might also spare the rich and popular the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a current private jet trip 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 include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

Some of the other 79 airplane on display are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of private jets to ensure his household's security, and has said that on the unusual occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say events such as the furore over his itinerary have added fresh difficulties for an industry currently striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our market has actually provided fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out aircrafts - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

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

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

Demand from company jet operators for eco-friendly 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 approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and consultants are also seeing more interest from customers who desire to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated emissions contributed in a corporate jet usage 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 people are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)