GEN 3  Services

GEN 3.1  AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION SERVICES

1  Responsible service

1.1 The Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) is a section of Air Navigation Department of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority which ensures the flow of aeronautical data and aeronautical information necessary for global air traffic management (ATM) system safety, regularity, economy and efficiency in an environmentally sustainable manner within the area of its responsibility as indicated under “GEN 3.1” item  2. This section consists of AIS Headquarters, International NOTAM Office and AIS briefing offices established at certain aerodromes as listed under “GEN 3.1” item  5.
1.2  AIS headquarters (AIS HQ) and international NOTAM office (NOF)
1.2.1 The service provided in accordance with the provisions contained in ICAO Annex 15 – Aeronautical Information Services.
1.3  service hours
1.3.1 AIS Headquarters operates 0400-1100 UTC, SUN-THU.
1.3.2 NOF and AIS briefing offices operate H24.

2  Area of responsibility

2.1 The Aeronautical Information Management is responsible for the collection and dissemination of information for the entire territory of State of Qatar and for the airspace of the high seas encompassed by Doha FIR.

3  Aeronautical publications

3.1 The aeronautical information is provided in the form of the aeronautical information products consisting of following elements:
  • Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) and Amendment service to the AIP (AIP AMDT);
  • Supplements to the AIP (AIP SUP);
  • Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC);
  • NOTAM and Pre-flight Information bulletins (PIB);
  • NOTAM Checklists and List of valid NOTAM; and
  • Digital data sets.

AIP, AIP SUP(s), AIC(s) and List of valid NOTAM are published via the website at https://www.caa.gov.qa/en.

3.2  AIP and amendment service to the aip (AIP AMDT)
3.2.1 The State of Qatar Aeronautical Information Publication is the official aviation document intended primarily to satisfy international requirements for the exchange of permanent aeronautical information and long duration temporary changes essential for air navigation.
3.2.2 This document is published in accordance with the provisions of Annex 15 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and is, in English language only. The Qatar AIP is maintained up-to-date by the AIS Headquarters through all its amendment service.
3.2.3 Amendments to the AIP, are made by means of replacement of pages (pages are made available in PDF format in electronic environment) and is, published in accordance with the established regular intervals. This incorporates permanent changes to the AIP in a specified publication date.
3.2.4 AIRAC AIP Amendment (AIRAC AIP AMDT), issued in accordance with the AIRAC system and identified by the acronym - AIRAC, incorporates operationally significant permanent changes into the AIP on the indicated AIRAC effective date.
3.2.5 A brief description of the subjects affected by the amendment is described on the cover sheet. New information included on the amended AIP pages and is marked either by a vertical line or by a horizontal arrow in the margin of the affected section of the page except for the changes in charts are annotated on the chart itself to indicate the amendments made.
3.2.6 Each AIP page and each AIP replacement page introduced by an amendment, including the amendment cover sheet, are dated. The date consists of the day, month (by name) and year of the publication date (regular AIP AMDT) or of the AIRAC effective date (AIRAC AIP AMDT) of the information. Each AIP amendment cover sheet includes references to the serial number of those elements, if any, of the aeronautical information products which have been incorporated in the AIP by the amendment and are consequently cancelled.
3.2.7 Each AIP AMDT and each AIRAC AIP AMDT are allocated separate serial numbers which are consecutive and based on the calendar year. The year, indicated by four digits, is a part of the serial number of the amendment.
3.2.8 A checklist of AIP pages containing page number/chart title and the publication or effective date (day, month by name and year) of the information is reissued with each amendment and is an integral part of the AIP.
3.3  Supplement to the AIP (AIP SUP)
3.3.1 Temporary changes of long duration (three months and longer) and information of short duration which consists of extensive text and/or graphics, supplementing the permanent information contained in the AIP, are published as AIP Supplements (AIP SUP). Operationally significant temporary changes to the AIP are published in accordance with the AIRAC system and its established effective dates and are identified clearly by the acronym AIRAC AIP SUP.
3.3.2 AIP Supplements are separated by information subject (General-GEN, En-route-ENR and Aerodromes-AD) and mentioned in GEN 0.3 under the column of “AIP section(s) affected”. AIP Supplements are placed at the beginning of the AIP. Supplements are published on yellow paper to be conspicuous and to stand out from the rest of the AIP. Each AIP Supplement (regular or AIRAC) is allocated a serial number which is consecutive and based on the calendar year.
3.3.3 An AIP Supplement is kept in the AIP as long as all or some of its contents remain valid. The period of validity of the information contained in the AIP Supplement will normally be given in the supplement itself. Alternatively, NOTAM may be used to indicate changes to the period of validity or cancellation of the supplement.
3.4  Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC)
3.4.1 Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) contains information on the long-term forecast of any major change in legislation, regulations, procedures or facilities; information of a purely explanatory or advisory nature liable to affect flight safety; and information or notification of an explanatory or advisory nature concerning technical, legislative or purely administrative matters.
3.4.2 Each AIC is numbered consecutively on a calendar year basis. The year, indicated by four digits, is a part of the serial number of the AIC.Whenever a new AIC or a series of AICs is issued, an updated checklist of all current AICs shall be published in the form of an AIC.
3.5  NOTAM and Pre-flight Information Bulletins (PIB)
3.5.1 NOTAM contain information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential for personnel concerned with flight operations. The text of each NOTAM contains the information in the order shown in the ICAO NOTAM format and is composed of the significations/uniform abbreviated phraseology assigned to the ICAO NOTAM Code complemented by ICAO abbreviations, indicators, identifiers, designators, call signs, frequencies, figures and plain language.
3.5.2 NOTAM are originated and issued for the State of Qatar are distributed in following series.
– Series A - NOTAM containing information on general rules, en-route navigation and communication facilities, airspace restrictions and activities, all civil aerodromes, facilities and procedures available for use by international civil aviation. NOTAM Series A is promulgated both internationally and nationally.
– Series S (SNOWTAM) - Information providing a surface condition report notifying the presence or cessation of hazardous conditions due to standing water on the movement area. SNOWTAM are prepared in accordance with PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 4, and are issued for individual aerodrome by Qatar NOF, with separate serial numbers.
3.5.3 NOTAM are exchanged between Qatar NOF and other International NOTAM Offices as follows:
  1. For sending NOTAM to Qatar use only address OTZZNAZX
  2. For requesting NOTAM from Qatar use only address OTNOYNYX
3.5.4 PIBs, which contain a recapitulation of current NOTAM and other information of urgent character for the operator/flight crews, are available at AIS briefing offices. The extent of the information contained in the PIB is indicated under Sub-section 5 .
3.6  NOTAM checklist and list of valid notam
3.6.1 A NOTAM checklist is issued monthly via AFS. The NOTAM checklist contains;
1) all the valid NOTAM numbers;
2) the serial number and effective/publication date of the latest AIRAC AIP AMDT/AIP AMDT issued; and
3) list of all the valid AIRAC AIP SUP/AIP SUP and AICs;

as of the time of NOTAM Checklist issuance.

3.6.2 List of valid NOTAM, is updated upon the issuance of NOTAM and available in website at https://www.caa.gov.qa/en.
3.7  Sale of publications
3.7.1 All publications can be obtained from the website https://www.caa.gov.qa/en in both HTML and PDF versions and is free of charge to all users.

4  AIRAC System

4.1 In order to control and regulate operationally significant changes requiring amendments to charts, route-manuals etc., such changes, whenever possible, will be issued on predetermined dates according to the AIRAC system. This type of information will be published as an AIRAC AIP AMDT or AIRAC AIP SUP.
4.2 If an AIRAC AIP AMDT or SUP cannot be produced due to lack of time, a NOTAM will be issued in lieu of AIRAC AIP AMDT or SUP. Such NOTAM will be immediately followed by an AMDT or SUP.
4.3 The table below indicates AIRAC effective dates for the upcoming years. AIRAC information will be issued so that the information will be received by the user not later than 28 days, and for major changes 56 days before the effective date. A trigger NOTAM will be issued on the Publication Date of the AIRAC AIP AMDT or AIRAC AIP SUP, by giving a brief description of the contents, effective date and reference number of the AIRAC publication.
4.4 This ‘Trigger’ NOTAM will come into force on the effective date of the AIRAC PUBLICATION concerned and will remain valid until for another 14 days.
4.5 A NIL AIRAC NOTAM will be issued one cycle before the AIRAC effective date if no information is submitted for publication of an AIRAC AIP AMDT or AIRAC AIP SUP for an AIRAC effective date. The NIL AIRAC NOTAM will come into force on the AIRAC effective date concerned and will remain valid for another 14 days.
4.6 Schedule of AIRAC effective dates
202620272028202920302031
122-Jan21-Jan20-Jan18-Jan17-Jan16-Jan
219-Feb18-Feb17-Feb15-Feb14-Feb13-Feb
319-Mar18-Mar16-Mar15-Mar14-Mar13-Mar
416-Apr15-Apr13-Apr12-Apr11-Apr10-Apr
514-May13-May11-May10-May09-May08-May
611-Jun10-Jun08-Jun07-Jun06-Jun05-Jun
709-Jul08-Jul06-Jul05-Jul04-Jul03-Jul
806-Aug05-Aug03-Aug02-Aug01-Aug31-Jul
903-Sep02-Sep31-Aug30-Aug29-Aug28-Aug
1001-Oct30-Sep28-Sep27-Sep26-Sep25-Sep
1129-Oct28-Oct26-Oct25-Oct24-Oct23-Oct
1226-Nov25-Nov23-Nov22-Nov21-Nov20-Nov
1324-Dec23-Dec21-Dec20-Dec19-Dec18-Dec

5  Pre-flight information service at aerodromes/heliports

5.1 The Pre-flight Information Service is an online briefing service which is available on the website https://www.caa.gov.qa/en and can be accessed worldwide via internet.
5.2 Users are required to register by completing the online User Registration form. Registered users can generate and download Pre-flight Information Bulletins (PIBs) through the Pilot Portal.
5.3 Access to the web server is controlled by authorized user accounts and password authentication.
5.4 The Pre-flight briefing is available at aerodromes as listed below.
Aerodrome/HeliportBriefing coverage
DOHA/DOHA INTLAll route stages emanating from State of Qatar
DOHA/HAMAD INTL
5.5 Additional information, maps and charts including documentation, can be obtained upon request. Refer to “GEN 3.1” item  1.2, Qatar AIS contact information.
5.6 Provision for the Post-flight information is established to report inadequacies of air navigation facilities essential to the safety of flight operations, and presence of birds on or around the airport constituting potential hazard to aircraft operations, observed by pilot during the flight. Following Post-flight forms are available through https://www.caa.gov.qa/en web link.
  1. Inadequacies of air navigation facilities
  2. Bird observation/strike

6  Digital data sets

6.1 AIP data set
a) AIP data sets are updated every AIRAC cycle. An indication of the publication and effective dates is provided together with the data sets, in parallel with the existing AIP products and shall hold the same governance.
b) AIP data sets are provided in XML format, adhering to the standards of the Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM 5.x).
c) The provided AIP data set consists of a FULL BASELINE and, when applicable, a BASELINE UPDATE. A BASELINE UPDATE is only provided when the corresponding AIRAC AIP Amendment includes information specified in Section 5.3.3.1.1 of PANS-AIM. Therefore, if no AIRAC AIP Amendment is published for a given AIRAC cycle, or if the published Amendment does not contain such information, the AIP data set shall consist only of the FULL BASELINE without a BASELINE UPDATE.
d) Where an AIP data set is provided, the corresponding section of the eAIP will be annotated with “[AIP-DS]”. Additionally, the feature’s universally unique identifier (UUID) will be appended to the relevant AIP section table, where applicable.
6.2 Terrain data sets
a) The data sets are provided in GeoTIFF format.
b) Terrain data sets are provided for Area 1 and Area 2 (which includes Area 3 and Area 4) for OTHH and OTBD combined.
c) Whenever terrain changes occur within any area, the corresponding datasets shall be published in accordance with the AIRAC cycle. The publication and effective dates shall be indicated together with the respective terrain datasets.

6.3 Obstacle data sets
a) The data sets are provided in XML format, adhering to the standards of the Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM 5.x).
b) The following Obstacle data sets are provided for:
  • Area 1 (State of Qatar),
  • Area 2, Area 3, Area 4 and Area Multi (Obstacle Limitation Surfaces, Take-off and Flight Path Areas) for OTHH and OTBD
c) Whenever updates to obstacle(s) and/or obstacle area definitions occur, the corresponding data sets including their geographic metadata, shall be published in accordance with the AIRAC cycle. The publication and effective dates shall be indicated together with the datasets, in parallel with the existing products.
6.4 Aerodrome Mapping data sets
a) Planned for future implementation.
6.5 Instrument Flight Procedure data sets
a) Planned for future implementation.
6.6 Data Product Specification
a) The Product Specification contains an overview, specification scope, data product identification, data content and structure, reference systems, data quality requirements, data capture methods, data maintenance procedures, data portrayal, data product delivery, additional information, and metadata for the digital data set. This specification facilitates and supports the use and exchange of the digital data sets and enables air navigation users to evaluate the product and determine whether it fulfils the requirements for their intended use (application).
6.7 Geographical Scope
a)  For the geographical scope of the digital data provided by the Qatar AIM, refer to Section 2 of GEN 3.1.
6.8 Contact details and access to data sets
a) Contact information for further clarification regarding the data sets provided can be found in Section 1 of GEN 3.1.
b) Digital data sets shall be accessed via https://aim.gov.qa/datasets.html by registering for the service through the same link.