You probably know about how many miles to the gallon your car gets, but what about the plane you take to your next vacation? The answer may surprise you.

Today’s newest jet engines produce as much as 127,000 pounds of thrust, but are more fuel efficient, on a per-passenger-mile basis, than almost every model of automobile. In fact, over the past 40 years, aviation has reduced its collective carbon emissions by 70 percent per seat-mile.

Now the international aviation industry says it’s working to take environmental performance to the next level with such advances as alternative fuels and even more efficient engines and airframes.

Coupled with fuel-saving gains in operations, these improvements are designed to make aviation even greener than it is today.

You can learn more by logging on to the Aerospace Industries Association’s new Web site at www.aia-aerospace.org.