One of the earliest supporters of the project to provide the air transport community with its own Internet top level domain was the FAI - the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale - otherwise known as The World Air Sports Federation

Today a growing number of Federation members are enjoying the three core benefits of using the .aero suffix. First, it immediately identifies an aviation industry focus and increases visibility, particularly when set against the "noise" generated by 30 million .com and .org domains. Second, the registration process adds further strength to brand identity on the Internet, by ensuring that each registrant is a bona-fide member of the aviation community. And third, a .aero name eliminates the need to register country specific domain suffixes.

Members that have already registered with .aero include:

• www.emf.aero - European Microlight Federation

• www.daec.aero - Deutscher Aero Club e.V.

• www.ultralight.federation.aero - German Ultralight Federation

• www.ushpa.aero - United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association

• www.brevet.aero - Royal Dutch Aeronautical Association (RDAA)

• www.fada.aero - Federación Aragonesa de los Deportes Aéreos

• www.dmfv.aero - Deutschen Modellflieger Verbands

• www.hepta.aero - Association d'Histoire et Pionniers de la Technologie Aéronautique

The benefits of .aero membership will be of particular interest to those taking part in the FAI's 2009 World Air Games in Turin. This will be the biggest gathering of air sports in the world, bringing together world champions and top competitors in 10 different disciplines. Aviation-based organizations and companies preparing for the Games can add real value to their visibility by joining the world's top airlines, airports, manufacturers and service companies within the .aero community.

From sports to standards

The FAI's roots go back to before the first days of powered flight. In 1905, the leaders of clubs devoted to the new passion for flying sought affiliation with the Olympic movement in order to provide the right degree of coordination and regulation needed to "advance the science and sport of Aeronautics".

Today the FAI focuses its activities in six areas:

First, it awards and supervises more than 30 world or continental championships, as well as Grand Prix and other international competitions. Air sport disciplines now include including ballooning, general aviation, gliding, rotorcraft, parachuting, aeromodelling, aerobatics, hang gliding and paragliding, microlights, and astronautical records. In 1985, the FAI was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an Olympic Federation and three disciplines - gliding, parachuting and hang gliding/paragliding - are considered as potential Olympic sports.

Second, the FAI draws up the rules, controls and ratifies some 14,000 aeronautical and astronautical world records. Third, the Association raises public awareness and understanding of air and space activities, particularly for young people, through its Aviation and Space Education Commission.

Fourth, the FAI gives public recognition to individuals through medals and diplomas. Fifth, the Association contributes to industry knowledge in areas as diverse as the medical impact of flight to the environmental impact of aviation through a number of Technical Commissions. And finally, the FAI participates active in a number of decision-making processes within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

For more information on the FAI, go to www.fai.aero