By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest industry program in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their usage of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display novel forms of aviation fuel deemed less damaging 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 aviation and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.
Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to curb emissions might make company jets more appealing to ecologically conscious purchasers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.
The availability of less polluting personal jets could also spare the rich and well-known the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a recent personal jet trip to southern France.
Five Gulfstream jets on display in Las Vegas are utilizing California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.
The most recent waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," said Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.
"All of our product is inedible."
A few of the other 79 airplane on display screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the show.
FLIGHT SHAMING
Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total annual carbon globally, but can produce, usually, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.
Prince Harry has defended his occasional use of private jets to ensure his family's security, and has stated that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers say occurrences such as the furore over his travel plan have actually included fresh challenges for a market already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business costs.
"Incidents of flight shaming involving using personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has delivered fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will help the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to market information, billionaires only have a 19% organization jet ownership rate.
But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this aircraft flies on renewable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out airplanes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.
Environmentalists and some analysts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, generally mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable influence on public perceptions about high-end travel.
"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make organization jets look eco-friendly," said air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from service 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, might broaden production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.
Corporate charter companies and specialists are also seeing more interest from clients who desire to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.
Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated 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) driver. But I think individuals are ending up being more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)
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Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
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