GitLab

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest market show in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing buyers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display novel types of aviation fuel deemed less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.

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

Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to curb emissions could make organization jets more appealing to ecologically mindful purchasers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less polluting personal jets might also spare the abundant and well-known the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a current private jet journey to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on screen 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 by-products of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.

"All of our item is inedible."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions internationally, but can discharge, usually, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has defended his occasional usage of private jets to guarantee his family's security, and has said that on the rare events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have included fresh obstacles for an industry already aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving using personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has delivered fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out airplanes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, typically blended 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," said air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from business jet operators for renewable fuels now far surpasses 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 approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and consultants are also seeing more interest from consumers who want to buy 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 business jet usage study his company just recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I think that price, expense per hour, variety, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe individuals are ending up being more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)