1 Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
Melisa Wyrick edited this page 2025-01-12 08:42:51 +03:00


By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest market show in Las Vegas high-end jets are drawing purchasers with their smooth shapes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to display unique forms of air travel fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the noticeably less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have bowed to environmental pressure on aviation and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to suppress emissions might make company jets more attractive to ecologically mindful buyers - particularly corporations facing concerns over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets could also 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 display in Las Vegas are utilizing California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.

The most recent waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer 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 expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other sustainable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions globally, however can discharge, usually, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter firm Victor.

Prince Harry has defended his periodic use of private jets to guarantee his household's security, and has actually stated 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 actually added fresh obstacles for an industry already making every effort to justify its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

"Incidents of flight shaming including making use of private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our industry has actually delivered fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation Coleal.

Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to market data, billionaires just have a 19% business jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to planes - is unlikely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, generally mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant influence on public perceptions about luxury travel.

"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make business jets look eco-friendly," stated aviation analyst 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, might broaden production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from clients 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 contributed in a business jet usage research study his company recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I think that price, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe individuals are becoming more mindful of the sustainability of operations and how it affects the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)