Yes Android requires the app to have a permission for Contacts / Calendar.
Contact *sync* (with the phone's Contacts app) has been supported since version 1.10. Please check what version you've got.
Some Contacts apps have settings to choose which "accounts" to show contacts from.
As a way to trouble shoot:
- Please long press on the account in Aqua Mail -> options and folders -> Exchange -> enable Sync Contacts
- Give it a bit of time (30 seconds - a minute), check the Contacts app
- If nothing, try going to Aqua Mail's "message compose" screen, select the Exchange account (top), and tap the icon to the left of the TO recipient entry field. You should see the app's own Contacts window with your contacts from the server.
But regardless of the app's own Contacts window, you should be seeing your server contacts synced with the phone's Contacts app. You can contact support / at / aqua-mail / dot com if it still isn't happening. We'll most likely need a debug log.