Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest market show in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring buyers with their smooth silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their usage of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel kinds of aviation fuel considered less harmful to the environment, from used cooking oil to the distinctly less glamorous meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airlines, have acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and devoted to cutting in half 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 purchasers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.
The schedule of less contaminating private jets could also spare the abundant and popular the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a current private jet trip to southern France.
Five Gulfstream jets on display screen in Las Vegas are using California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.
The most recent waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," 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."
A few of the other 79 airplane on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel blends expected to be pumped at the show.
FLIGHT SHAMING
Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions worldwide, but can discharge, usually, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.
Prince Harry has defended his periodic usage of private jets to guarantee his household's security, and has stated that on the rare events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his itinerary have actually included fresh obstacles for a market currently striving to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.
"Incidents of flight shaming including making use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has actually delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will help the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to market data, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.
But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out airplanes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.
Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, generally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial influence on public perceptions about luxury travel.
"No amount 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 eco-friendly fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.
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 business and are likewise seeing more interest from customers who wish to purchase 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 study his company recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.
"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, cost per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe individuals are ending up being more conscious of the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)