By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world’s most significant market program in Las Vegas luxury jets are tempting purchasers with their smooth shapes, plush cabins - and progressively, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel manufacturers and jetmakers are eager to showcase novel forms of air travel fuel deemed less damaging to the environment, from utilized cooking oil to the distinctly less attractive meat waste.

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

Their hope is that adopting renewable fuel to curb emissions might make company jets more appealing to environmentally conscious buyers - particularly corporations dealing with questions over sustainability from investors or green campaign groups.

The accessibility of less contaminating personal jets might also spare the rich and well-known the unfavorable publicity experienced by Britain’s Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan over a recent private jet trip to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on display in Las Vegas are utilizing 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 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 display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other renewable fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets account for less than 0.1% of overall annual carbon emissions worldwide, but can produce, usually, as much as 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based personal charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has actually protected his periodic usage of private jets to guarantee his household’s safety, 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 schedule have actually included fresh obstacles for a market currently striving to validate its contribution to cutting corporate costs.

“Incidents of flight shaming including using personal jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has delivered fuel efficiency improvements of 40% over the past 40 years,” stated Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will assist the industry make inroads with corporations and rich buyers. According to industry information, billionaires just have a 19% service jet ownership rate.

But even an image makeover - with jets sporting sticker labels like “this aircraft flies on sustainable fuels” and organisers adding alternative for visiting planes - is not likely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 luxury jet event.

Environmentalists and some analysts remain skeptical that biojetfuels, generally combined 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public understandings about luxury travel.

“No quantity of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make service jets look eco-friendly,” stated aviation expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from company jet operators for eco-friendly 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, could expand production up to 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter companies and consultants 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, said emissions contributed in a business jet utilization study his business just recently completed for a Fortune 500 company.

“At the end of the day, I believe that cost, expense per hour, range, speed and performance, that’s still the (sales) motorist. But I think 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)