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 most significant industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display novel kinds of aviation fuel considered less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to curb emissions might make company jets more attractive to ecologically conscious purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The schedule of less contaminating private jets could also spare the rich and popular the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

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

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

"All of our product is inedible."

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

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

Prince Harry has protected his occasional use of personal jets to guarantee his family's safety, and has actually stated that on the he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say events such as the furore over his travel plan have included fresh challenges for a market currently making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our industry has provided fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain skeptical 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 organization jets look eco-friendly," said aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from service jet operators for sustainable 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 business and specialists are also seeing more interest from clients who want to purchase 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 research study his business recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I think that rate, expense per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) driver. But I think individuals are becoming more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)