By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are luring purchasers with their sleek shapes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their usage of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase unique forms of aviation fuel considered less harmful to the environment, from used cooking oil to the noticeably less glamorous meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually acquiesced ecological pressure on aviation and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.
Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to suppress emissions could make business jets more attractive to environmentally conscious purchasers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.
The availability of less contaminating personal jets might likewise spare the rich and well-known the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.
Five Gulfstream jets on display 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 by-products of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.
"All of our product is inedible."
A few of the other 79 aircraft on screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the program.
FLIGHT SHAMING
Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions worldwide, but can discharge, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.
Prince Harry has defended his periodic usage of private jets to ensure his family's safety, and has actually said that on the rare celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers state events such as the furore over his itinerary have actually included fresh challenges for an industry already striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.
"Incidents of flight shaming involving the use of personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our industry has actually provided fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the past 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel use will help the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to industry data, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.
But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to planes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.
Environmentalists and some analysts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, typically blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial impact on public perceptions about luxury travel.
"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make organization jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from service jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far surpasses supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow stated.
World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.
Corporate charter business and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from customers who want to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.
Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions contributed in a corporate jet usage research study his company just recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.
"At the end of the day, I think that price, cost per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) driver. But I think 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 Hudson)
1
Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
refugiokitchen edited this page 22 hours ago