By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant market show in Las Vegas high-end jets are tempting purchasers with their smooth silhouettes, plush cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display unique types of aviation fuel deemed less harmful to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually bowed to environmental pressure on air travel and dedicated to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.
Their hope is that adopting sustainable fuel to curb emissions might make company jets more attractive to environmentally mindful purchasers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.
The availability of less contaminating private jets might likewise spare the rich and famous the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent private jet journey 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 industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief business officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.
"All of our item is inedible."
Some of the other 79 airplane on display screen are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the show.
FLIGHT SHAMING
Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions internationally, however can discharge, usually, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.
Prince Harry has safeguarded his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his family's safety, and has said that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers state events such as the furore over his itinerary have included fresh obstacles for an industry already striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.
"Incidents of flight shaming involving using personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has actually delivered fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will help the industry make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to market information, billionaires just have a 19% business jet ownership rate.
But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including pumps for checking out planes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.
Environmentalists and some experts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, typically blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public perceptions about luxury travel.
"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from service jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.
World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.
Corporate charter business and consultants are also seeing more interest from clients who want to purchase carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.
Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions contributed in a corporate jet usage study his company recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.
"At the end of the day, I think that cost, expense per hour, variety, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe individuals are ending up being more conscious of the sustainability of operations and how it impacts 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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