By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest market show in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing buyers with their sleek shapes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display novel types of air travel fuel considered less damaging to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airlines, have acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.
Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to curb emissions might make organization jets more attractive to environmentally conscious purchasers - particularly corporations facing questions over sustainability from investors or green project groups.
The accessibility of less contaminating private jets might likewise spare the rich and popular the unfavorable promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his partner Meghan over a recent private jet journey to southern France.
Five Gulfstream jets on screen 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, 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."
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 overall yearly carbon emissions globally, however can produce, on average, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.
Prince Harry has protected his occasional usage of private jets to guarantee his household's safety, and has said that on the he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers say events such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh difficulties for a market already striving to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.
"Incidents of flight shaming involving using private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our industry has delivered fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will help the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to industry data, billionaires only have a 19% service jet ownership rate.
But even an image transformation - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out airplanes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.
Environmentalists and some analysts remain hesitant that biojetfuels, normally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial impact on public understandings about luxury travel.
"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make company jets look eco-friendly," said air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from company 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 expand production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.
Corporate charter business and consultants are also seeing more interest from customers who wish to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.
Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a role in a business jet usage 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 efficiency, 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)
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Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
Deanna Shannon edited this page 2025-01-11 14:41:37 +01:00