Our Geneva-based team recently conducted a telephone survey of .aero domain name holders who had not renewed their registrations. As Elena Vladkova explained, the principal reason was a simple breakdown of communication between the registrar and their registrant.

We also took the opportunity of asking a number of general questions over the registrants' experience of .aero. Briefly, their responses were as follows:

• Airports and airlines gave a number of reasons as to why they were using the .aero domain. They believed in the development potential of the domain and in the promotion of an online airport/airline community. They also believed that, as public awareness of .aero grows, having a .aero domain offers a simple route to their website and enhances their Internet presence. A number also registered initially in order to avoid another organization or individual registering their name, as had happened at the start of the .com boom.
• All of those interviewed found the registration process and registry service easy and straightforward. However, one registrant explained that for them the registration, especially the verification process, was complicated and was made worse by not being able to manage their registration accounts online due to restrictions by their registrar.
• None of the registrants had experienced difficulties with their ISP when using .aero names.
• Many saw .aero as a marketing tool for increasing brand visibility online and as a common development platform for the aviation industry. However, a few did not fully understand the role of .aero.
• The role of .aero was seen mostly as a tool for business-to-business communications and a tool for promoting products and services.

We very much appreciate the feedback we received and have taken note of areas where we can improve. Based on the feedback we have received on our registration process we have recently introduced a simple two-step process that should help streamline registration.

Obtain your Membership ID – this unique validity process screens potential domain registrants, so ensuring the integrity and exclusivity of the .aero domain. The Membership ID is obtained directly from SITA, the sponsor of .aero.

Select a .aero authorized registrar through which to register your .aero domain name online.

We are always eager to get feedback from registrants, as well as those considering registration. If you have a point of view you would like to share with us, however forcibly, please send a note to aero.enquiries@sita.aero!