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    • .aero

    Sponsored top-level domains

    Overview

    .aero (from "aeronautics") is a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) reserved for the aviation and aerospace community. It was created as the first sponsored TLD based on a single industrial theme and is intended for airlines, airports, aerospace companies, associations, government agencies, and related individuals. The domain is operated by SITA and governed with industry input via the Dot Aero Council.

    History

    • Introduced/implemented in December 2001 (dates in sources include December 21–22, 2001).
    • Described as "created in 2002" in source text and operated by SITA.
    • Initially approved in 2001 for a 5-year proof-of-concept term (expiring December 17, 2006).
    • Agreement was extended through a series of renewals (six-month cycles) and in 2009 SITA and ICANN completed a new 10-year sponsorship agreement for .aero.
    • The Dot Aero Council was created to take input from the aviation community and industry associations hold partner status.

    Usage and Audience

    • Target audience: airlines, airports, other air-travel industry participants, aerospace companies, industry associations, government agencies, and individuals in aerospace-related fields.
    • Actual use: organizations and players in the aviation industry use .aero; broader usage exists similarly to generic TLDs like .com and .info.
    • Code-based allocations:
      • Two-letter labels under .aero are reserved for airlines in accordance with IATA airline designators.
      • Three-letter airport codes (IATA) were initially reserved for airports and later released for wider registration by the aviation and aerospace community on December 1, 2008.

    Registration Rules

    • Eligibility: registrations are reserved for members of the aviation/aerospace community; applicants' credentials are checked before registration is permitted.
    • Structure:
      • Some categories of users may register at the second level, while others register at the third level within appropriate second-level names.
      • Certain industry codes were automatically linked to appropriate sites even if the corresponding domain was unregistered.
    • Dispute policies: UDRP applies; a Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Procedure (CEDRP) also exists for eligibility disputes.

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • Positioning: as a sponsored, industry-specific TLD for aviation and aerospace, .aero signals an affiliation with the aviation community and is managed by an industry operator (SITA).
    • Registration credential checks and sponsorship by SITA contribute to a community-oriented, sector-specific brand identity for domain holders.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • Two-letter .aero labels reserved for airlines per IATA airline designators.
    • Release of three-letter airport codes for registration by the broader aviation community on December 1, 2008.
    • Operation and community governance by SITA and the Dot Aero Council.

    Operator

    Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautique (SITA INC USA)

    Whois

    % IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       AERO

organisation: Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautique (SITA INC USA)
address:      3100 Cumberland Boulevard
address:      Atlanta GA 30339
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         .AERO Office
organisation: SITA SC
address:      26 Chemin de Joinville
address:      Cointrin
address:      Geneva Geneva CH-1216
address:      Switzerland
phone:        +41 22 747 60 00
fax-no:       +41 22 747 63 33
e-mail:       aero.enquiries@sita.aero

contact:      technical
name:         Senior Director, DNS Infrastructure Group
organisation: Afilias
address:      300 Welsh Road
address:      Building 3, Suite 105
address:      Horsham PA 19044
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 215 706 5700
fax-no:       +1 215 706 5701
e-mail:       tld-tech-poc@afilias.info

nserver:      A0.NIC.AERO 199.254.51.1 2001:500:1d:0:0:0:0:1
nserver:      A2.NIC.AERO 199.249.115.1 2001:500:43:0:0:0:0:1
nserver:      B0.NIC.AERO 199.254.52.1 2001:500:1e:0:0:0:0:1
nserver:      B2.NIC.AERO 199.249.123.1 2001:500:4b:0:0:0:0:1
nserver:      C0.NIC.AERO 199.254.54.1 2001:500:20:0:0:0:0:1
ds-rdata:     59071 8 2 1d81d38a696e94ade581ebdec47a2473a4a22712c33e5501d9756f98ce8b1714

whois:        whois.aero

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.information.aero

created:      2001-12-21
changed:      2023-08-08
source:       IANA

    Registrars