The .aero team took on a new hospitality role in early May, when they hosted the Internet café at the sixth Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva – the only major European event focused solely on business aviation.

Jointly organized by the US-based National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), this was the strongest event in the show's six-year history, with almost 10,000 attendees, up 27 percent on last year.

Highlights from the event – including articles, photos, podcasts, transcripts and PowerPoint presentations – are posted on the official EBACE web site at www.ebace.aero.

The opportunity to learn more about .aero was enthusiastically taken by a wide range of visitors – with many requesting their .aero ids. Many identified with the logic of aviation having its own exclusive Internet space – including consequential benefits, such as the online directory. This segments the industry into specific groups – offering faster search but also an opportunity for those companies with memorable names and the .aero suffix to stand out as specialists in aviation.

We were also delighted to see a number of .aero users exhibiting at the event. They included:

www.jetex.aero – headquartered in Dubai, Jetex Flight Support is an executive charter flight operator and aviation services provider. The company owns and operates six executive aircraft, and also supports other operators with worldwide clearances, flight planning, ground handling arrangements and credit fuel uplift.

www.spectrum.aero – US-based Spectrum Aeronautical makes the Spectrum 33 all-composite business jet, with 2+7 passengers. Currently under flight testing with FAA with certification expected by the end of 2007, the price per aircraft is currently set at US$ $3.65 million.

www.thommen.aero – Swiss-based Revue Thommen specializes in designing and manufacturing electro-mechanical and solid state aircraft instruments such as altimeters, airspeed indicators, vertical speed indicators, clock chronographs, engine and cabin instruments as well as digital air data computers.

www.rusaero.aero – Rusaero is the company is market leader in the provision of ground handling services in Russia and the CIS.

www.jeteng.aero – UK-based Jet Engineering Technical Support (JETS) serves the business aviation and regional airline sectors with maintenance and technical support.