GitLab

By Allison Lampert

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

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to showcase novel forms of air travel fuel deemed less harmful to the environment, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have acquiesced environmental pressure on air travel and devoted to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions could make business jets more appealing to environmentally mindful purchasers - specifically corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The schedule of less polluting personal jets might likewise spare the abundant and well-known the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a current personal jet journey to southern France.

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

The current waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary business 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 airplane on display are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

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

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

But planemakers state occurrences such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh obstacles for a market currently striving to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has actually delivered fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

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

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to airplanes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts remain hesitant that biojetfuels, typically mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial impact on public understandings about luxury travel.

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

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

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

Corporate charter companies and consultants are also seeing more interest from clients who want to buy 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 usage research study his company just recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

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