By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display unique types of air travel fuel considered less hazardous to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airlines, have acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and devoted to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.
Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions might make business jets more appealing to environmentally conscious buyers - specifically corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from investors or green project groups.
The availability of less contaminating personal jets might likewise spare the rich and famous the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a recent private jet journey to southern France.
Five Gulfstream jets on display screen in Las Vegas are utilizing California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.
The most current waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," 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 are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel blends anticipated to be pumped at the show.
FLIGHT SHAMING
Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions internationally, but can produce, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.
Prince Harry has defended his periodic use of private jets to guarantee his household's safety, and has said that on the uncommon celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers state incidents such as the furore over his travel plan have included fresh challenges for an industry currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting corporate costs.
"Incidents of flight shaming involving the usage of private jets are regrettable when you consider that our industry has delivered fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel use will assist the market make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to market data, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.
But even an image makeover - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for visiting aircrafts - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.
Environmentalists and some analysts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, normally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant influence on public understandings about high-end travel.
"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make business jets look eco-friendly," said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from company jet operators for sustainable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow stated.
World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could expand production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.
Corporate charter business and experts are also seeing more interest from consumers 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 function in a corporate jet utilization research study his business just recently finished for a Fortune 500 business.
"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, cost per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe people are becoming more knowledgeable about the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)