m2-capital-sdn.-bhd

By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's biggest industry show in Las Vegas luxury jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined silhouettes, luxurious cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel kinds of air travel fuel considered less damaging to the environment, from used cooking oil to the definitely less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airlines, have acquiesced ecological pressure on air travel and committed to cutting in half carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to curb emissions might make service jets more attractive to ecologically conscious purchasers - especially corporations dealing with concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

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

Five Gulfstream jets on screen in Las Vegas are utilizing California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.

The most current waste-based fuels include "fats, grease and oils that are byproducts of the food market," stated Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial 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 screen are expected to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes anticipated to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions globally, however can discharge, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per traveler mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

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

But planemakers state occurrences such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh difficulties for an industry currently making every effort to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the use of private jets are unfortunate when you think about that our industry has actually delivered fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel use will help the market make inroads with corporations and wealthy purchasers. According to industry information, billionaires only have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image transformation - with jets sporting stickers like "this aircraft flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for visiting planes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some analysts stay skeptical that biojetfuels, normally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial impact on public perceptions about luxury travel.

"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly," stated air travel analyst Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from company jet operators for sustainable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow stated.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could expand production as much as 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from consumers who wish to buy carbon credits to offset emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, said emissions played a function in a corporate jet research study his business recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, expense per hour, variety, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe people are ending up being more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)