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 industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are enticing purchasers with their smooth shapes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique types of aviation fuel deemed less damaging to the climate, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have bowed to environmental pressure on aviation and devoted to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions could make organization jets more attractive to ecologically conscious buyers - especially corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less contaminating private jets might likewise spare the abundant and popular the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a current personal jet trip to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," 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 item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions internationally, however can emit, typically, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has safeguarded his occasional use of private jets to ensure his household's security, and has stated that on the unusual 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 a market currently striving to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including making use of personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our industry has actually provided fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out airplanes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts stay skeptical that biojetfuels, generally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

"No quantity of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make company jets look eco-friendly," said aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia.

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

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 business and specialists are also seeing more interest from consumers who wish to purchase carbon credits to offset 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 think that rate, expense per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) driver. But I think people are ending up being more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)