From December 1, these unique IATA location identifiers will no longer be reserved exclusively for airports but will be available for registration to any qualifying organization or individual, on a first-come-first-served basis and through accredited registrars.
The .aero domain is already used by over 6,000 members of the aviation community and more than 210 airports have registered to use their three letter airport code including: Dusseldorf www.dus.aero, Manchester www.man.aero, Singapore www.sin.aero, Los Angeles www.lax.aero, and San Francisco www.sfo.aero.
Pierre-Yves Benain, SITA's Head of Product Line Integration Solutions, said: "We want to be sure that airports realise that from December 1, 2008, their three letter code within the .aero domain could be used by another party".
"Over the last four months we have experienced a significant rise in registrations as airports recognise the importance of maintaining control over their three letter codes, as well as the numerous advantages of the .aero domain for the community from both a branding and operational point of view. We expect a further surge in demand as December 1 approaches and the three letter codes will be made available to others".
Unlike more traditional domain names, not only is .aero industry-specific but it is controlled by the community it serves. It is a truly unique and focused top level domain that has the potential to connect the entire aviation community by leveraging Internet technology and providing e-business and e-marketing opportunities for its members.
.aero is working to deliver innovative Internet-based services built on aviation naming and coding structures. Business applications, such as VoIP, e-ticketing and baggage management, can benefit from DNS technology-driven structured domain names where standard naming structures provide predictability and ease of access.
Careful registration policies and qualification processes ensure that .aero names are granted only to those who qualify as genuine members of the aviation community. Domains are activated within 48 hours of approval.
Airports wishing to register a 3-letter code need an Membership ID and password which can be requested from here not later than November 28. Once these are received airports can simply select a registrar from the list here: here and submit an .aero domain name registration request. For any questions, regarding the registrations, contact aero.enquiries@sita.aero.
Ready to register a .aero domain? Apply for your Membership ID now.
