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 show in Las Vegas high-end jets are tempting purchasers with their sleek silhouettes, plush cabins - and progressively, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display unique forms of air travel fuel deemed less harmful to the environment, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to curb emissions could make service jets more appealing to ecologically conscious buyers - specifically corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less contaminating personal jets could also spare the rich and well-known the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a current personal jet journey to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display in Las Vegas are using from inedible beef tallow.

The latest waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized 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 sustainable fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

Prince Harry has defended his occasional usage of private jets to ensure his household's security, and has said that on the uncommon celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his schedule have actually added fresh obstacles for an industry already striving to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming including making 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," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

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

Environmentalists and some experts stay doubtful 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 company jets look eco-friendly," stated aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from service jet operators for sustainable fuels now far exceeds 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 business and experts are also seeing more interest from customers who wish to purchase carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a role in a corporate jet utilization study his company just recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

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