By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing purchasers with their sleek shapes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager 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 bowed to ecological pressure on air travel and dedicated to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.
Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to suppress emissions could make business jets more appealing to ecologically mindful purchasers - particularly corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.
The availability of less polluting personal jets could likewise spare the abundant and well-known the negative promotion 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 in Las Vegas are utilizing California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.
The newest waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief business officer of Boston-based biofuel producer 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 are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the show.
FLIGHT SHAMING
Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, but can produce, 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 protected his periodic usage of private jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually said that on the rare events 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 an industry currently making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.
"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our market has actually delivered fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to market data, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.
But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to aircrafts - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.
Environmentalists and some experts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial effect on public understandings about high-end travel.
"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from organization jet operators for renewable fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow said.
World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could expand production up to 150 million by 2022.
Corporate charter business and experts are also 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, stated emissions contributed in a corporate jet utilization research study his business just recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.
"At the end of the day, I believe that cost, expense per hour, variety, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe 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)
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Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
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