General | .AERO

Why is .aero more expensive than a domain name such as .com?

SITA is required by both ICANN and the aviation community to maintain the integrity of .aero in order to ensure that it is a trusted domain to do business.

Unlike very generic Top Level Domain Names, the integrity of .aero is maintained through verification of all registrants who submit a .aero name request to a registrar. SITA verifies each potential .aero registrant and ensures that they are a valid member of the aviation community, before issuing them an aviation community membership ID. This verification significantly decreases the volume of speculative registrations and cybersquatting, but generates a cost. Although it has an impact on the price of a .aero domain name, it is thanks to this process that .aero benefits from the support of aviation industry associations and their members.

Other specialized Top Level Domains such as .coop and .museum, operating under a contract similar to the one for .aero, have similar or even higher pricing.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 15:43

What is the minimum contract for a .aero name?

The minimum contract is for 1 year.

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Updated date: 08/14/2014 - 19:09

Why is my contact information publicly available on Internet?

SITA is required by ICANN, the Internet regulating body, to provide public access to the Who-is database. This database contains up to date information concerning registered domain names and contact details of their owners. Domain registration agreement requires all registrants to acknowledge that information provided during the registration process will be publicly available as required by ICANN. When you registered a domain name, your contact details were automatically included in the Who-is database and as such, are publicly available.

However, it is our policy not to publish information concerning the issue of Aviation Community Membership IDs or any other personal information, which is beyond the scope required by ICANN.

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Updated date: 05/23/2012 - 20:06

How to change my contact details?

All domain names are registered by authorised Registrars. In order to change your contact details you will need to contact the Registrar with whom you registered your domain name.

If you are not sure who is your Registrar, simply type in your domain name in the Check names box, and consult the information that the "whois" functionality provides to you on the line concerning your "Sponsoring Registrar", in order to find the contact details.

To change contact details, associated with your Membership ID, click here.

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Updated date: 05/23/2012 - 20:12

Can I change my registrar and how?

Yes. Your registrar will provide you with the details of the change procedure that they require. There may be a cost associated with the transfer. Any transfer will result in one-year extension of the current .aero name registration period.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 14:47

Who can change my DNS information?

Registrars execute changes to your DNS information. The change procedure varies according to registrar. Please refer to your registrar's web site for further details or contact them directly.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 14:48

Will my .aero websites or addresses be able to co-exist with my current .com extension?

Yes. This is a matter of asking your domain administrator to configure your DNS as you require. Your administrator will be able to ensure, for example, that your desired website is displayed when using your .aero address. Otherwise, you can ask your registrar to do this change for you.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 14:49

Further questions about .aero?

Does your .aero domain expire soon? For any questions related to renewals, click the Renewal FAQs on this page or simply click here.

Should you have any further questions about .aero, we invite you to use the Contact us icon at the top of this page.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 14:50

Do the registrars operate through SITA?

No, SITA is the official sponsor of .aero and, as such, cannot process applications for .aero names. This is done by independent registrars - accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and authorized by SITA.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 14:51

What is .aero?

.aero is the very first industry-specific Internet domain name, launched on 18th March, 2002. It is a new Top Level Domain Name (TLD) on the Internet, similar to ".com", ".net", and ".org", with the added advantage of being reserved exclusively for the aviation community.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 14:52

What is it used for?

At the most basic level, the .aero domain name enables organizations and individuals to use their own .aero web and email addresses. More importantly, however, it gives aviation and related industries the means to strengthen their overall Internet presence. By drawing Internet attention to the aviation world as a whole, it generates an identity that consumers can recognize as "the place to go for information about all aviation-related services".

Some live examples are: www.las.aero, which ensures visibility to Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport and provides information to its customers. This is quite different from www.las.com, which represents a poster shop, not a major international airport; and www.sata.aero, which helps SATA, the Subsonic Aerodynamic Testing Association, stand out as a worldwide organization for operators of low speed aerodynamic testing facilities--quite different from www.sata.com, which represents the paint industry. To find more examples, click here to look at the .aero case studies on this website.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 15:36

Who is sponsoring .aero?

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has selected SITA as the sponsoring organization of .aero. SITA is the provider of global information and telecommunication solutions for both the air transport and related industries. SITA, is committed to managing the .aero top level domain for the benefit of the aviation community and on a not-for-profit basis.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 15:21

Why is SITA committed to managing .aero?

The question is actually broader and has to do with a role that has been playing since its foundation in 1949, i.e. that of creating global standards and shared communication structures for the air transport industry. In fact, some of the SITA's first discussions regarding industry standards resulted in the agreement between ICAO, IATA and SITA on the use of agreed standards for message content and protocols, and the implementation of industry codes, identifiers and designators.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 15:22

What is the benefit for a member of the aviation community?

By adopting .aero, you demonstrate your presence as a player in the aviation community. You also raise your visibility in cyberspace as a true member of the aviation community and benefit from adhering to an Internet domain whose integrity is protected. Careful registration policies and qualification processes ensure that .aero names are granted only to those who qualify as genuine members of the aviation community.

The structure of .aero domain naming serves to create names that make sense to your customers. It therefore provides value to them by allowing more straightforward access to your websites. For example, the use of short and recognizable airline designator codes, followed by .aero (e.g. ba.aero, nw.aero) allows travellers easy access to the websites of the world's airlines.

This naming structure also increases your ability to position your organization through e-marketing, eBusiness, and other industry-related promotional activities. In enables you to protect your brand and promote your brand names over the Internet by registering your company name, brands, airports, trademark, etc.

Examples of .aero name structures are:

www.companyname.aero

www.trademark.aero

www.locationcode.airport.aero

www.airline2characterIATAdesignator.aero (e.g. cx.aero)

Lastly, through the use of global standards based on the .aero naming structure, and of Internet technology, the .aero domain opens the door to a vast potential for easier, more efficient and more trusted communication between all members of the aviation community, and between this community and their customers.

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Updated date: 06/03/2010 - 15:24

When and where can I get the .aero zone file?

To obtain access to download the .aero zone file, you will need to complete and submit a Zone File Access Agreement and return to SITA by fax to +1.416.646.3305 or sent to:
SITA
c/o Afilias
Building 3, Suite 105
300 Welsh Road
Horsham, PA 19044
USA

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Updated date: 04/01/2011 - 15:32