By Allison Lampert
LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's greatest industry show in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing buyers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and significantly, their use of alternative fuels.
Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are keen to showcase unique kinds of air travel fuel considered less harmful to the climate, from used cooking oil to the clearly less attractive meat waste.
Business jet operators, like airline companies, have bowed to environmental pressure on aviation and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.
Their hope is that embracing sustainable fuel to suppress emissions could make business jets more appealing to ecologically conscious buyers - especially corporations facing questions over sustainability from shareholders or green campaign groups.
The schedule of less contaminating personal jets could likewise spare the rich and well-known the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan over a recent personal jet trip to southern France.
Five 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 by-products of the food industry," stated Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel producer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.
"All of our item is inedible."
A few of the other 79 airplane on display 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 account for less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions globally, however can give off, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.
Prince Harry has actually safeguarded his periodic usage of personal jets to ensure his household's safety, and has stated that on the unusual celebrations he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.
But planemakers say events such as the furore over his itinerary have actually included fresh obstacles for an industry currently aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.
"Incidents of flight shaming including the use of personal jets are regrettable when you think about that our market has provided fuel effectiveness improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.
Bombardier thinks increased sustainable fuel use will help the industry make inroads with corporations and wealthy buyers. According to industry data, billionaires only have a 19% service jet ownership rate.
But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on eco-friendly fuels" and organisers adding alternative fuel pumps for going to airplanes - is not likely to please all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.
Environmentalists and some experts remain doubtful that biojetfuels, generally mixed 50-50 with kerosene, will make a substantial effect on public understandings about luxury travel.
"No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make business jets look eco-friendly," said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.
Demand from company jet operators for renewable fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest might drive future production, Sherbacow said.
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 companies and consultants are likewise seeing more interest from customers who want 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 business.
"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, expense per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) motorist. But I think people are ending up being more mindful of the sustainability of operations and how it affects 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
Ernesto Colon edited this page 2025-03-07 18:27:37 +08:00