1 Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

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By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting purchasers with their streamlined silhouettes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to display unique forms of aviation fuel considered less damaging to the environment, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have bowed to 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 suppress emissions could make company jets more appealing to ecologically conscious buyers - particularly corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets could also spare the rich and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels include "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 screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel blends expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions globally, but can produce, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his occasional use of private jets to guarantee his family's security, and has stated that on the uncommon occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have actually added fresh challenges for a market already striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.

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

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will help the market make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to industry data, billionaires only have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out planes - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, usually combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial influence on public understandings about luxury travel.

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

Demand from service jet operators for renewable fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, might broaden production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and specialists are also seeing more interest from clients who wish to purchase 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 corporate jet usage study his company just recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, expense per hour, variety, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) motorist. But I believe individuals are becoming more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)