1 Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show

Kristian Charlesworth edited this page 2025-01-18 12:04:02 +00:00

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant industry program in Las Vegas luxury jets are enticing purchasers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to display unique types of air travel fuel deemed less damaging to the climate, from used cooking oil to the definitely less glamorous meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have actually bowed to environmental pressure on air travel and dedicated to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

Their hope is that embracing eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions might make organization jets more attractive to environmentally conscious purchasers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The accessibility of less polluting personal jets could also spare the rich and well-known the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a current private jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display screen 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, 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 eco-friendly fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the show.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of total annual carbon emissions globally, but can produce, typically, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per passenger mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has protected his periodic usage of private jets to ensure his household's safety, and has actually stated that on the unusual celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his schedule have included fresh obstacles for an industry already striving to validate its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving making use of personal jets are regrettable when you consider that our market has actually provided fuel performance enhancements of 40% over the past 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will assist 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 stickers like "this aircraft 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 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some experts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, normally combined 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 business jets look eco-friendly," stated aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from organization jet operators for renewable fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

World Energy, which 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 customers who desire to buy carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated emissions contributed in a corporate jet usage research study his business recently completed for a Fortune 500 business.

"At the end of the day, I think that price, cost per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I think people are ending up being more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the world." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)