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 purchasers with their sleek silhouettes, plush cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

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

Business jet operators, like airlines, have bowed to ecological pressure on air travel and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions might make organization jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.

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

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

The current waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, 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 mixes anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions worldwide, but can produce, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his periodic use of private jets to ensure his household's safety, and has said that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say events such as the furore over his travel plan have included fresh difficulties for a market currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including making use of personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our industry has actually delivered fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated 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% service jet ownership rate.

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

Environmentalists and some analysts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, generally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial effect on public perceptions about high-end travel.

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

Demand from business jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far surpasses 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 approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from customers who want to purchase carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated emissions contributed in a business jet usage research study his company just recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, expense per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) motorist. 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)