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1. General Procedures

Amendment History

Revision Effective Date Notes
Version 1 15JUN26 Initial Publication

1. General Procedures

1.1 General provisions

The Approach Control Radar ensures surveillance-based separation services for arriving aircraft, as well as between arriving and departing aircraft, within the Doha Terminal Maneuvering Area (TMA). This encompasses Doha International Airport (DIA/OTBD), Hamad International Airport (DOH/OTHH), and Al-Udaid Airbase (OTBH).

Additionally, radar control services are extended to aircraft operating within the boundaries of the Doha TMA, including those departing to or arriving from adjacent airspaces, as necessary.

1.2 Separation minima

1.2.1 Surveillance-based separation

Aircraft operating within the Doha TMA must maintain a minimum horizontal as presribed in table 1.2-1. If this cannot be achieved, a minimum vertical separation of 1,000FT must be applied.

Table 1.2-1: Minimum Horizontal Separation (TMA)
Traffic distance from Radar Head Minimum Lateral Separation
> 40 NM 5NM
< 40 NM 3NM

Controllers are required to employ suitable speed and altitude instructions, along with lateral profile adjustments, to ensure adherence to the prescribed separation minima.

1.2.2 Wake turbulence separation

The applicable Recategorisation Wake Turbulence Separation Minima (RECAT) must always be enforced for aircraft operating below 6,000FT under the following conditions:

  • When an aircraft is directly behind another at the same altitude or within 1,000FT below.
  • When both aircraft are utilizing the same runway or parallel runways separated by less than 760 meters.
  • When an aircraft is crossing behind another at the same altitude or within 1,000FT below.

1.3 Doha TMA runway configuration

Due to the interactions between departure and arrival procedures, the runway direction in the Doha TMA is determined by the active runway configuration at Hamad (OTHH). Consequently, Doha (OTBD) and Al-Udaid (OTBH) must always operate in the same runway configuration as Hamad.

1.4 Designated areas of responsibility

1.4.1 General

To manage controller workload during peak traffic periods, the Doha Terminal Maneuvering Area (TMA) may be sectorized into a maximum of 6 sectors. Each sector shall be assigned specific departure and arrival responsibilities and must adhere strictly to standard level assignment, coordination, and handoff procedures to ensure safe and efficient separation of traffic.

  • Doha Radar
    Responsible for air traffic within Doha TMA 3 from 4500FT up to FL245 (Excluding Doha Approach Sectors).

  • Doha Approach
    Responsible for air traffic within Doha TMA 1, 1A, and 2 from 12,000FT down to 2,500FT (Excluding Doha Director Sectors).

  • Doha Director
    Responsible for managing downwind traffic from 4,000FT and below (Excluding the Doha Control Zone).

1.4.2 Coordination between controllers

Clearances for direct routing to waypoints, radar vectors before the downwind leg, or deviations from standard level clearances within designated controller Areas of Responsibility (AoRs) must not be issued without prior coordination between the relevant controllers.

Handoffs between controllers must be conducted early enough to allow the next sectors to facilitate continuous climb or descent, provided no conflicts exist with other traffic and separation is maintained.

1.4.3 Connection Hierarchy

Unless explicitly authorized by the Khaleej vACC staff, sectors within the Doha TMA must be opened in the specified order.

Each active sector requires a prerequisite sector to be online before further divisions of the TMA are made. If a prerequisite sector goes offline, the TMA must revert to the previous configuration.

Sectors not included in this priority order may be opened at any time.

Position Prerequisite Sector Notes
DOH_R1_APP N/A Bandbox
DOH_R2_APP DOH_R1_APP,
DOH_A1_APP
DOH_A1_APP DOH_R1_APP
DOH_A2_APP DOH_R1_APP,
DOH_A1_APP,
DOH_F1_APP OR OTHH_1_TWR
DOH_F1_APP DOH_R1_APP,
OTHH_1_TWR
DOH_F2_APP DOH_R1_APP,
DOH_F1_APP
OTHH_1_TWR

1.4.4 Sector top-down coverage

When the lower sector is offline, Doha Radar shall provide top-down coverage for Doha in addition to its designated areas of responsibility. This responsibility transitions to Doha Approach when it is online. Controllers are strongly encouraged to obtain the Tier-2 Military Endorsement to ensure proficiency in delivering military air traffic services at Al-Udeid Airbase (OTBH).