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1 Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest market program in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined shapes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

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

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

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to suppress emissions might make organization jets more appealing to environmentally conscious buyers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The availability of less polluting private jets could also spare the rich and popular the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current personal jet trip to southern France.

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

The most recent waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions globally, but can give off, usually, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has safeguarded his periodic use of private jets to ensure his family's security, and has stated that on the unusual occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state occurrences such as the furore over his itinerary have actually added fresh obstacles for a market already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our market has delivered fuel effectiveness enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will help the industry make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to industry data, billionaires only have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting airplanes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

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

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

Demand from service jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far surpasses 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 up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and experts are likewise seeing more interest from customers who wish to buy 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 utilization research study his business recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.

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