By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest market program in Las Vegas high-end jets are luring buyers with their sleek shapes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel producers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel kinds of aviation fuel deemed less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airline companies, have acquiesced environmental pressure on aviation and devoted to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.
Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions might make company jets more appealing to ecologically mindful purchasers - particularly corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.
The accessibility of less polluting private jets might likewise spare the abundant and famous the negative 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 in Las Vegas are utilizing California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.
The newest waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief business officer of Boston-based biofuel producer 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 screen 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 total yearly carbon emissions worldwide, however can emit, on average, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.
Prince Harry has protected his periodic use of private jets to ensure his family's security, and has actually said that on the uncommon events he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers state events such as the furore over his travel plan have added fresh challenges for an industry currently striving to justify its contribution to cutting corporate expenses.
"Incidents of flight shaming involving the usage of personal jets are unfortunate when you think about that our market has provided fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will help the market make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to market data, billionaires just 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 visiting planes - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.
Environmentalists and some experts remain hesitant that biojetfuels, typically blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a considerable influence on public understandings about high-end travel.
"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make company jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from service jet operators for sustainable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow said.
World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, might broaden production approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.
Corporate charter business and specialists are also seeing more interest from consumers who wish 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 research study his business just recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.
"At the end of the day, I think that price, cost per hour, range, speed and efficiency, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe individuals are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)
