By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are drawing purchasers with their smooth shapes, luxurious cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase novel types of aviation fuel deemed less harmful to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airlines, have acquiesced environmental pressure on air travel and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.
Their hope is that embracing renewable fuel to suppress emissions might make organization jets more appealing to environmentally mindful purchasers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.
The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets might also spare the abundant and well-known the negative promotion experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his other half Meghan over a recent personal 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 include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief industrial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste utilized by Gulfstream.
"All of our product is inedible."
A few of the other 79 airplane on screen are anticipated 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 overall yearly carbon emissions internationally, but can emit, usually, approximately 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter firm Victor.
Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his occasional use of personal jets to ensure his family's safety, and has stated that on the rare occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers say incidents such as the furore over his schedule have included fresh challenges for a market currently striving to justify its contribution to cutting corporate costs.
"Incidents of flight shaming involving the use of private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has provided fuel efficiency enhancements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will assist the market make inroads with corporations and rich purchasers. According to industry information, billionaires only have a 19% company jet ownership rate.
But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this airplane flies on renewable fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for checking out is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.
Environmentalists and some experts stay doubtful that biojetfuels, generally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial impact on public understandings about high-end travel.
"No amount of Jatropha or Brazil-nut fuel can make business jets look eco-friendly," said aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from business jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far exceeds supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.
World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, might expand production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.
Corporate charter business and specialists are also seeing more interest from clients who desire 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 role in a business jet utilization study his company just recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.
"At the end of the day, I think that rate, expense per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) driver. But I believe people are ending up being more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it impacts the planet." (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
Boris Goldschmidt edited this page 2025-01-12 14:19:05 +08:00