GitLab

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant market program in Las Vegas high-end jets are drawing buyers with their sleek silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to display novel types of aviation fuel deemed less damaging 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 suppress emissions might make organization jets more appealing to environmentally mindful purchasers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less polluting personal jets might also spare the rich and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a current private jet journey to southern France.

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

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

"All of our product is inedible."

Some of the other 79 aircraft on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions worldwide, but can give off, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has defended his periodic usage of personal jets to guarantee his family's safety, and has actually stated that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state occurrences such as the furore over his itinerary have added fresh challenges for an industry already making every effort to validate its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the usage of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has provided fuel performance improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to market information, billionaires only have a 19% organization jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for checking out planes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant influence on public understandings about high-end travel.

"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make company jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from organization 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, might expand production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from clients who desire to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions contributed in a corporate jet usage study his business just recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.

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