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 luxury jets are enticing buyers with their sleek shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to display novel types of aviation fuel deemed less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions might make business jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

The availability of less jets could also spare the rich and famous the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a current private jet trip to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions globally, however can emit, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his occasional use of private jets to ensure his household's security, and has actually stated that on the rare occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have actually added fresh difficulties for an industry currently aiming to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including using private jets are regrettable when you consider that our market has provided fuel performance improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

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

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

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

Demand from service jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond 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 as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and experts are also 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 played a role in a corporate jet utilization study his company recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, cost per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe individuals are ending up being more mindful of the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)