 | |
| Introduced | December 22, 2001 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Sponsored top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | SITA INC B.V. (registry agreement ends in December, 2005 and new registry operator is being sought) |
| Sponsor | SITA SC; a Dot Aero Council was formed to take input from community; various industry associations have partner status |
| Intended use | Airlines, airports, and other parts of the air-travel industry |
| Actual use | Players in this industry seem to be using it, further usage just like .com, .info and other TLDs |
| Registration restrictions | Credentials of applicants are checked before registration is permitted, but then any domain can be registered |
| Structure | Some categories of users can register at the second level and others at the third level within appropriate second level names; some industry codes such as those of airports and airlines were automatically linked to appropriate sites even if unregistered |
| Documents | ICANN registry agreement |
| Dispute policies | UDRP, Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Procedure (CEDRP) |
| Registry website | information.aero |
.aero (derived from aeronautics) is a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) used in the Domain Name System of the Internet. It is the first sponsored top-level domain based on a single industrial theme. The aero domain is reserved for companies, organizations, associations, government agencies, and individuals in aerospace-related fields. It was created in 2002 and is operated by SITA. SITA created and operates the Dot Aero Council.
Two-letter codes under .aero are reserved for airlines according to the IATA Airline Designators. While three-letter codes were initially reserved for airports (IATA airport code), they were released for registration by the larger aviation and aerospace community on December 1, 2008.[1]
The aero top-level domain was initially approved in 2001 for a 5-year term expiring December 17, 2006 as part of a proof-of-concept of new top-level domains. The agreement was extended in October 2006 for a six-month term until June 17, 2007,[2] and continued to be renewed on a June–December six-month cycle through June 17, 2009. In 2009, SITA and ICANN completed a new 10-year sponsorship agreement for the operation of aero.[3]