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 high-end jets are enticing buyers with their smooth silhouettes, plush cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique forms of air travel fuel deemed less damaging to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually bowed to ecological pressure on aviation and committed to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to suppress emissions could make company jets more appealing to environmentally conscious purchasers - specifically corporations facing questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The schedule of less polluting personal jets might also spare the abundant and famous the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a recent personal jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display in Las Vegas are using 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 used by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel blends expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions internationally, but can discharge, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has safeguarded his occasional usage of personal jets to guarantee his household's security, and has actually said that on the uncommon events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh difficulties for an industry currently aiming to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

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

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant impact on public perceptions about luxury travel.

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

Demand from company jet operators for 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, might expand production approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and experts are also seeing more interest from clients who desire to buy carbon credits to balance out 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 just recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.

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