Frequently asked questions

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What is a .aero ID?

Aviation Community Membership ID or in short .aero ID is a contact record maintained by SITA to ascertain and continually verify your eligibility to register domain names in .aero TLDs. The contact information is only used to ascertain your eligibility and is not part of a public record associated with the domain name in the Whois service.  

Each domain registration is associated with .aero ID, which is a reference to a successful completion of eligibility verification process.

 

Category: .aero ID contact update

Where do I get my .aero ID from?

.aero ID can be only issued by SITA and you can request it either through your selected registrar, a list of them is here or directly through SITA here.

Category: .aero ID contact update

Who can view my .aero ID?

Only SITA, yourselves and third parties with whom you share the password relating to this ID can view the contents of the ID, either via the web interface on this web site or, for registrars, directly in the registry database. Registrars may for example copy your .aero ID contact to pre-fill your normal registrant contact data.

Category: .aero ID contact update

How can I change information associated with .aero ID?

The fields you can update are your contact name, email address, company/ entity/ individual address, telephone number and fax. In the future, you will also be able to view and update other eligibility information such as reservation of industry codes or eligibility to register names in sub-domains. 

My contact details changed, what should I do?

You may need to update both your contact details, related to your .aero ID (your eligibility record) and your contact details, related to your .aero domain name. The first contacts you can update here: http://www.information.aero/registration/manage_your_aero_id/update

For the second one you will need to contact your registrar directly.

 

Category: .aero ID contact update

What is the difference between .aero ID contact details and registrant contact details in the Who-is?

.aero ID is associated with private data only viewable by yourselves, SITA and your registrar.

Registrant contact records (as well as billing, admin and tech record) are part of a public Who-is service and any third party using Internet can access this information.

As a matter of policy, registrant and .aero ID holder must be the same legal entity. Registrars are responsible for verifying the fact and may refuse to make changes if these are not consistent.

However, the contact details do not necessarily have to be the same in both records. For example, you may decide to share with SITA in your .aero ID record the name of a person responsible for eligibility verification of your company, but for example to protect the privacy of your employees, you may decide to show in the registrant record a functional email address and a name of a department responsible for maintaining the name. The public information must be correct and functional.

Category: .aero ID contact update

Can I change the company name in .aero ID to transfer a name to a third party?

No. The .aero ID itself is not transferable. If you want to transfer your domain name to another party, please follow the transfer process as instructed by the registrar. The registrar will “change” the .aero ID associated with the domain. Only once this change has been completed, the transfer is valid.  For more information about transfers, check our dedicated FAQs here: http://www.information.aero/registration/faq/transfers

To update your contact information relating to your .aero ID, you will require your .aero password, if you have forgotten your password you can request it here.

 

Can I register Internationalised Domain Names(IDNs) in .aero?

Since English is the global language of aviation, at the present time IDNs(internationalised domain names) are not available through .aero domains.

 

Can I transfer my domain name to another registrant?

According to Domain Management Policy, Domain ownership transfers are allowed.  In this case the registrant of the domain name simply requests this transfer from their registrar.

 

Category: Transfers

What is "domain name hijacking"?

"Domain hijacking refers to the wrongful taking of control of a domain name from the rightful name holder. It can have a lasting and material impact on a registrant.

The registrant may lose an established online identity and be exposed to extortion by name speculators. Domain hijacking can disrupt or severely impact the business and operations of a registrant." The above definition appears in a report "Domain Name Hijacking: Incidents, threats, risks, and remedial actions", published recently by the Internet's  Regulating body - ICANN. Examples of "domain hijacking" are: unauthorized modification of a registrant's information (for example DNS) and unauthorized transfer of a domain registration. Domain hijacking often affects more parties than the rightful name holder: customers, business partners, consumer of services provided by the name holder and even parties wholly unrelated to the name holder are often "collateral damage" to hijacking incidents.

 

Category: Transfers

Why does domain hijacking happen and what can be done about it?

As stated in the ICANN Domain Name Hijacking Report, domain name hijacking incidents are commonly the result of flaws in registration and related processes, failure to comply with the transfer policy, and poor administration of domain names by registrars, resellers and registrants. While many recommendations contained in this report were implemented in .aero since its inception and we are not aware of any hijacking in the .aero domain, the risk of hijacking always remains and there are steps each registrant can take to minimise the risk.

 

Category: Transfers

What safety steps can you take to protect your domain names from hijacking?

1. Choose your registrar well – choosing the right registrar may be the most important factor in getting the service you require. While all registrars are bound by the same basic rules, the level of service, availability of customer support, opening hours, and pricing differ. You should always consider all your needs, including those concerning the security of your name when choosing your Registrar;

2. Keep your domain name registration records always accurate and current and your secret registrant account information, such as user ID and password, private and secure;

3. Enquire from your registrar if they can provide you with 24x7 emergency contact information and make sure you keep it up-to-date and accurate;

4. Ask your Registrar to provide you with your AuthInfo – each registered domain name in the system is associated with a unique secret string, called “AuthInfo”. Without having this information, you will not for example be able to transfer domain name from one registrar to another; Consider asking your registrar to “lock” your domain - any .aero domain can have one or several status flags. You have the option to request from your Registrar the usage of .aero transfer-prohibited, lock and hold flags Associated with your name. The status flags available to registrars are as follows:

- transfer-prohibited (if set, transfers of the domain to another registrar are automatically rejected)

- lock (if set, no modification or deletion of the domain is allowed)

- hold (if set, the domain is not published in the zone)

The above flags can be combined. For instance, a domain can have the status "transfer-prohibited, lock". This means that the domain cannot be modified, deleted, nor transferred, however, it does not include transfer-prohibited. To prevent a transfer of your domain between registrars, transfer-prohibited flag should be set explicitly;

 

5. Routinely check the Who-is service link and domain name information to ensure the status of your domain name and that no unauthorized changes have been made to your contact information. You can do this simply by typing your .aero domain name in the Check Names box on this web site;

If you have spotted any unauthorized change or modification of your domain, make sure you notify with no delay your registrar.

Category: Transfers

How do I find out when my domain name expires?

To find an expiration date recorded by the registry, simply type the domain name you are looking for in the "Check names" box. You will see the expiration date of your domain in the “Expiration Date” field.

ATTENTION! This information is based solely on information submitted by the domain registrar and as such is not a confirmation that your payment was received by the registrar. For example, if your domain recently expired, the registrar may have automatically extended its expiration period by one year while waiting for your payment. If this is not received on time, the domain registration may be cancelled.

 

Category: Renewals

What happens when my domain name expires?

When your domain expires, the registrars or the registry have the right to DELETE your domain name at any time. To minimize the inconvenience, associated with a loss of domain name, SITA provides registrars with an extended period of time, to resolve any outstanding cases. When a domain name expires, your registrar has 45 days, in which he must delete all those names he does not wish to renew. Your registrar will most likely require that you settle any payment for renewals, well before this extended period. We suggest you contact your registrar immediately, if your name has been deleted.

Category: Renewals

How do I renew my domain name?

Contact your registrar directly and request renewal of your domain name. All registrars are listed on our web site here. If you cannot remember who is the registrar of your domain name, simply type the domain name you are looking for in the "Check names" box. Then click on the link in the “Sponsoring Registrar” field.

Category: Renewals

My domain name registration is not yet expired. If I wish to renew it now, will my remaining registration term be lost?

No, you can renew your domain name at any time and no registration years are lost with this process. Any additional registration years are added to the existing registration for up to 10 years.

Category: Renewals

I have requested my registrar to renew my domain name. How can I confirm this request was completed?

When registry accepts the request from the registrar, the expiration date is updated in the Who-is database. Simply type the domain name you are looking for in the "Check names" box. Once your registrar has completed the request, you will see the new expiration date in the “Expiration Date” field.

Category: Renewals

Once an expired domain name has been renewed, how long does it take for the domain to function again?

If your domain name was active, then there is no change. If your domain name was on hold because of non-payment, then the domain will begin working within 48 hours of its renewal. This assumes, of course, that the domain's DNS and hosts are still in place.

Category: Renewals

What is the cost for a domain renewal?

.aero domain renewal rates are the same as the current new domain registration fees. Please address to your Registrar for further details.

Category: Renewals

What happens if I did not take any renewal action during the 45 days grace period?

Your registrar may delete the domain name registration to avoid renewal charges from the registry. If your domain name is deleted, you will cease to be the holder of the domain name license. We suggest you contact your registrar immediately, if your name has been deleted.

Category: Renewals

What are the consequences when a domain name is deleted and re-registered?

Once deleted, the domain name becomes available to all eligible registrants, as specified by the current Domain Management Policy. If a domain is deleted and re-registered by a third party, the original registrant's web, e-mail and other Internet services will, in the best circumstances, simply stop working.

Category: Renewals

What are the minimum and maximum renewal periods?

Renewals can be made for one-year periods up to ten years in advance.

Category: Renewals

Will I receive a reminder when my domain is about to expire?

Renewal is your responsibility, but the registrar makes the best effort to contact you. You should always keep your contact information up to date.

Category: Renewals

My domain stopped working, what should I do?

Assuming your DNS and hosts are configured correctly, check the status of your domain name by typing it in the "Check names" box:

 

<typolist>

If your domain name is there, but is put on hold, this means that your registrar is awaiting a payment from you and you need to contact the registrar.

</typolist>

 

Category: Renewals

You have other questions about .aero?

Try the Frequently Asked Questions

 

For further assistance, e-mail us at: aero.enquiries@sita.aero.

Category: Renewals

How much does it cost to register a .aero domain name?

The cost varies according to the registrar chosen. The minimum domain name registration period is for two years and registration fees are not refundable once your name has been submitted by your chosen registrar to the central registry. However, the registrar policies may differ. Please review the pricing and registration conditions on your registrar's web site before you confirm your registration request.

 

Category: New Registrations

Can I pay through an invoice?

All registrars are able to provide you with invoices instead of credit cards. If you do not wish to pay through a credit card, simply request your registrar to send you an invoice. Should a registrar refuse your request, please contact us at: aero.enquiries@sita.aero.

Due to Internet regulations regarding name registration, names cannot be registered directly through SITA, but need to be registered through one of the 5 registrars listed on our web site, which you may find by going to the Registration icon, then "Registrars" or simply click here.

Category: New Registrations

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.

Category: General

What is the minimum contract for a .aero name?

The minimum contract is for 2 years.

Category: General

How to find out if my registration was successful?

You will find a "Check names" box at the top of this web page. Simply type in your domain name. If your name has been registered, you will see the registration details. Please contact you registrar directly if you have any queries regarding the status of your registration.

Category: New Registrations

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.

Category: General

When can I start using my .aero domain name?

Once you have prepared your site and provided your name server details to your registrar, you should see your web site operational within approximately 24 hours.

Category: New Registrations

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 .aero ID, click here.

Category: General

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.

Category: General

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.

Category: General

My .aero email address is not recognized by certain web sites

If you encounter a similar problem, while for example trying to subscribe for an online service using your .aero email address and you get a message that this is not a valid email address, here is what you can do.

The easiest way is to send a message to the relevant web site administrator or similar contact. For this purpose, we provide this template text, which summarizes all the important issues they would need to know in order to update their web site to support .aero email addresses.

"My name is ... and I have encountered ... this sort of problem ... on your web site.

There is no technical reason why .aero addresses should not be accepted by any web site or host. .aero is a valid Top Level Domain, responding to all the Internet standards and working in close cooperation with ICANN - the Internet regulatory body.

The current listing of TLDs recognized by ICANN is available at http://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt.

ICANN has recently added new TLDs with 4 or more letters like:  .jobs; .travel; .mobi etc.

More information is provided in the "RFC 3696 - Application Techniques for Checking and Transformation of Names", which can be found here: http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3696.html

This document draws summaries of the applicable rules together in one place and supplies references to the actual standards.

Would you please clarify whether your web site supports, i.e. provides DNS service for users of  .aero  domain names, and fix the current problem

I have experienced on our web site."

 

You can also send us a message, using the feedback form on our web site and we will contact the web site in question.

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.

Category: General

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.

Category: General

How do I register and get my Aviation Community Membership ID (.aero ID) ?

Simply fill in the form here to apply for .aero ID. If the eligibility requirements are met, your .aero ID will be issued by SITA and sent to you within 2 working days. Using this ID, you may then finalize the order of your .aero domain name with your chosen registrar.

Category: New Registrations

How can I find out about the eligibility requirements?

A summary of our eligibility requirements is provided here. Eligibility criteria are defined in the Domain Management Policy, which you may access here.

Category: New Registrations

How can I obtain a .aero domain?

If you are eligible for a .aero domain name (i.e. are a member of the aviation community), you may register names through any .aero registrar. You can link with a number of registrar websites by clicking on the Registration icon at the top of this web page and then select ".aero registrars".

Before you proceed to registrars, you should receive your .aero ID from SITA. Please click here to request your .aero ID.

Category: New Registrations

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.

Category: General

How do I prove I am an eligible member of the aviation community?

There are different types of proof required according to which aviation sector you belong. Examples of proof required might be an Airline Operating Certificate or a pilot's licence. You can check yourself which proof you need by going to the "Eligibilty and name format" page here. Once your eligibilty is established, you may be issued with an ID to register your names.

Category: New Registrations

How can I check if the domain name I would like is available?

Simply go to the "Check names" box and type in the name you are interested in, followed by ".aero".

Category: New Registrations

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.

Category: General

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.

Category: General

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.

Category: General

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.

Category: General

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:

<typolist>

www.companyname.aero

www.trademark.aero  

www.locationcode.airport.aero

www.airport3letterIATAlocationidentifier.aero (e.g., syd.aero)

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

</typolist>

 

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.

 

Category: General

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

Category: General