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 market program in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing buyers with their sleek shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display unique kinds of aviation fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and dedicated to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that fuel to suppress emissions might make company jets more attractive to environmentally conscious purchasers - specifically corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The accessibility of less polluting private jets might likewise spare the abundant and well-known the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a current private jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display 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 by-products of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief industrial 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 display screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

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

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his schedule have included fresh obstacles for an industry already aiming to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has delivered fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will help the industry make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to industry data, billionaires only have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting airplanes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, generally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable influence on public understandings about high-end travel.

"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from business jet operators for renewable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from consumers who want to buy 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 study his company just recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I believe that cost, expense per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I think people 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)