1.3 AIS sections and service hours

3.2 Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP)

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.

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.

3.3 Amendment service to the AIP (AIP AMDT)

The Amendments to the AIP, together with checklists 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.

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.

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.

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 Integrated Aeronautical Information Package which have been incorporated in the AIP by the amendment and are consequently cancelled.

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 two digits, is a part of the serial number of the amendment.

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.

3.4 Supplement to the AIP (AIP SUP)

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.

AIP Supplements are separated by information subject (General—GEN, En-route—ENR and Aerodromes—AD) and are placed accordingly at the beginning of each AIP Part. 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.

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.

The checklist of AIP Supplements currently in force is issued in the monthly printed plain-language list of valid NOTAM.

3.5 NOTAM and Pre-flight Information Bulletins (PIB)

A NOTAM contains 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. NOTAM are originated and issued for the State of Qatar are distributed in ‘A’ series, via Bahrain NOF.

NOTAM are published as and when necessary to disseminate information of direct operational significance which;

1. is of a temporary nature;
2. requires advance distribution; or
3. is appropriate to the AIP but needs immediate dissemination

PIBs, which contains 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 Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC)

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.

Each AIC is numbered consecutively on a calendar year basis. The year, indicated by two digits, is a part of the serial number of the AIC. A checklist of current AIC is issued as an AIC once a year.

3.7 Checklist and list of valid NOTAM

A checklist of valid NOTAM is issued monthly via AFS.

The checklist is followed by a list of valid NOTAM and is available on https://www.aim.gov.qa to all recipients of the Integrated Aeronautical Information Package. It contains the plain language presentation of current NOTAM, information on the serial numbers of the latest AIP AMDT, AIP SUP and AIC issued and also includes the checklist for AIP SUP.

3.8 Sale of publications

All publications can be obtained from the website https://www.aim.gov.qa in both HTML and PDF versions and is free of charge to all users.