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 show in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing purchasers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

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

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

Their hope is that fuel to suppress emissions might make organization jets more attractive to environmentally conscious purchasers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

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

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

The latest waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary 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 aircraft on display screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions globally, however can emit, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler 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 family's safety, and has stated that on the unusual celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his schedule have added fresh difficulties for a market currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including using personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has actually delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for visiting planes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, typically blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial influence on public perceptions about luxury travel.

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

Demand from organization jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow said.

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

Corporate charter companies and experts are likewise seeing more interest from consumers who wish 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 business jet usage research study his company recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I believe that price, expense per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe individuals are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)