Tunis Tower

General Provisions

The aerodrome controller’s (ADC) callsign, for radio communication and coordination, is "Tunis Tower".

Tower is responsible for all aerodrome movements on runways and their associated taxiways and all operations within Tunis Carthage ATZ below 2 000 ft.

Tower shall also ensure separation between IFR aircraft that are arriving at and departing the aerodrome, as well as provide traffic information about VFR flights operating within the aerodrome traffic zone.

Runway Selection

Tower determines the direction of operations. Runway configurations should not be mixed and arrivals and departures should remain segregated.

If the Northern Runway Configuration is being utilised: the crosswind component, including gusts, is less or equal to 15 kts for a dry RWY and less or equal to 10 kts for wet or contaminated RWY, OR the wind is calm or bisecting and the TFC allows it.

If the Southern Runway Configuration is being utilised: the crosswind component, including gusts, is less or equal to 15 kts for a dry RWY and less or equal to 10 kt for wet or contaminated RWY, OR the tail wind component, including gusts, is less than 5 kts. 

When Tower has two runways for departure (for example runway 29 and 01 ) and a heavy aircraft departs from 29 and a medium aircraft has lined up and waits on runway 01,  the medium aircraft has to wait 2 minutes separation from wake turbulence.

Departure Procedures

As part of the take-off clearance, Tower shall include instructions for the pilot to contact Approach on the designated frequency once airborne.

A conditional clearance is a clearance issued by an air traffic controller which does not become effective until a specified condition has been satisfied. Conditional line up instructions must include the traffic that the aircraft is to follow, as well as the word “behind” at the beginning and end of the transmission.

"Tunisair 181, behind the departing company Airbus A320, line-up and wait, runway 01, behind".

However, if the aircraft ahead is already well clear, the next aircraft may be instructed simply to: “line-up and wait.”

Separation Requirements

Aircraft shall be separated on departure in compliance with standard IFR departure wake turbulence separation requirements. Departures with the same flow point must be separated by at least 7 NM or the appropriate wake turbulence requirement, whichever is greater. A greater separation needs to be coordinated between the radar controller and TWR.

All fixed-wing IFR departures with the same TMA flow point shall be transferred to Approach with 7 NM in trail. For separation of 7 NM, the proceeding traffic needs to be 4-5 NM away from the end of the departure runway. If no radar screen is used, two minute separation can be used in this case as well.

If the distance ends up being less than 7 NM but more than 3NM (ensured), coordination is required and avoiding action to be taken by the pilot is given when the controller considers that an imminent risk a collision will exist if action is not taken immediately.

The take off minima for runway 01/19, is 5nm after passing the departure threshold, or 7nm after the aircraft starts the takeoff roll. The take off minima for runway 29/11, is 5.2nm after passing the departure threshold, or 7nm after the aircraft starts the takeoff roll.

VFR aircraft may be instructed to maintain visual separation with preceding aircraft and given a take-off clearance if no wake turbulence or flow separation minima exist.

"Tunisair 181, cleared for take-off 01, wind 010 degrees, 12 knots.".

When traffic is clear of DER (if there is no WTS minima) or the respective minima between the two aircraft, a departure may be cleared for aircraft that do not require separation along the same flow point or a WTS minima greater than 7 NM. However, the controller shall provide traffic information as appropriate to ensure traffic is separated upon TMA entry.

"Tunisair 181, wind 010 degrees, 12 knots, proceeding traffic ATR-600".

ADC shall use caution when departing aircraft with different speed profiles and is fully responsible for ensuring that horizontal or vertical separation exists at all times. It is thus advised that a VFR aircraft on a visual climbout must turn more than 45° from the runway track in order to allow succeeding IFR traffic to depart with separation of less than 3 NM in trail.

Cancelling or Stopping a Take-off

IFR departures shall be instructed to contact the radar controller once airborne in the take-off clearance. When an aircraft has commenced the take-off roll, and it is necessary for the aircraft to abandon take-off in order to avert a dangerous traffic situation, the aircraft should be instructed to stop immediately and the instruction and callsign repeated.

"Tunisair 181, stop immediately, Tunisair 181, stop immediately".

For aircraft that have been given a take-off clearance, but have not yet started the roll, they shall be instructed to hold position and the take-off clearance must be cancelled along with the reason for cancellation.

Arrival Procedures

The Approach controller is responsible for establishing longitudinal separation between arrivals until touchdown. If they fall below the separation minima, ADC has to instruct the pilot to go around. In this case, coordination with Approach is strongly recommended.

The minimum separation between two aircraft approaching the same runway is always 7 NM or wake turbulence separation, whichever is higher.

For landings on intersecting runways, such as Runway 01 and Runway 11, the required separation is as follows:

• If an aircraft, e.g TUN181 is on a 4-mile final approach for Runway 01, then aircraft TUN2811, which is landing on Runway 11, must be on an 8-mile final approach minimum to ensure proper separation.

• Note that for landings on intersecting runways, no additional wake turbulence separation is needed. Wake turbulence separation rules apply only to aircraft landing or departing on the same runway.

If it is apparent that minimum separation is infringed, Tower may apply a speed reduction to maintain in order to ensure separation, however, controllers must use caution as proceeding arrival flows may be inconvenienced. As such, continuous coordination between Approach and Tower is highly recommended.

"Tunisair 181, reduce to minimum approach speed".

Aircraft may be instructed to maintain their separation visually if speed control alone will not resolve the conflict. This shall only be done in VMC and with an agreement with the pilot. If no other solutions are practical, the succeeding aircraft shall be instructed to go around.

Missed Approach Instructions

Instructions to carry out a missed approach may be given to avert an unsafe situation. When a missed approach is initiated, cockpit workload is inevitably high. Any transmissions to aircraft going around should be brief and kept to a minimum.

"Tunisair 181, go around".

Once the traffic has acknowledged the instruction and is observed to be safely climbing away, they shall be handed off to the Approach controller.

"Tunisair 181, fly runway heading, climb 4 000 ft, contact Tunis Approach 121.2".

In the case that there is a risk that the go-around aircraft will overtake the departing aircraft, instructions for avoiding action shall be given to the departing aircraft in the form of altitude restrictions. Additionally, if separation is infringed, each aircraft shall receive relevant traffic information, respectively.

Departures shall not be permitted to commence their take-off roll until separation with go-around traffic is assured.

VFR Aircraft

Entry, exit and transit VFR as well as special VFR routes are mandatory within the TMA.

In the vicinity of the aerodrome traffic zone, traffic shall report their entry/exit at 2 000 ft or below.

VFR Waypoints

Reporting VFR Points	Identification
CN	Kalaat El Andalous
CN1	Cebellat Ben Ammar
CN2	Sidi Amor Bouktioua
CW	Mornaguia
CW1	Roads RR37 and RR39 intersection( Sijoumi Lake)
CW3	Ksar Said Hippodrome
CS	Naassen
CE	Borj Cedria
CE1	Milliane River End

Departures

VFR traffic shall be cleared using the most appropriate VFR route on track to the destination, in accordance with the published VFR routes.

“CN-BOB, after departure runway 01, turn left Borj El Amir, 1 500 ft, VFR”.

Only after prior coordination with Approach shall traffic that requests clearance to climb into the TMA be released. If not, they will be instructed to remain outside of controlled airspace after exiting the control zone and to squawk the VFR standard code”.

“CN-BOB, approaching Borj El Amir, contact Approach 121.200”.

Aerodrome Traffic Circuits

VFR aircraft wishing to do circuits at Tunisia shall receive clearance in the following format:

“CN-BOB, runway 01, standard [LEFT] circuit, 1 500 ft, squawk XXXX VFR”.

Small aircrafts are allowed to do circuits on 1000 & 1500 Feet. Medium aircraft and above are allowed to do circuits on 1500 & 2000 Feet. Ground can coordinate with Tower to find out which altitude will be applicable to which aircraft.

• For Runway 01 : Right Downwind is not permitted because of the DT P6. However, the Pilot should maintain his own visual separation with the terrain on the left Hand Circuit.

• For Runway 19 :  Left  Downwind is not permitted because of the DT P6. However, the Pilot should maintain his own visual separation with the terrain on the right Hand Circuit.

• For Runway 11 : Left  Downwind is not permitted because of the DT P6.

• For Runway 29 : Right  Downwind is not permitted because of the DT P6.

Entry, exit and transit VFR as well as special VFR routes are mandatory in the control zone (CTR). Aircrafts doing VFR circuits must squawk a normal squawk code.

Arrivals

Aircraft may request either touch and go, a stop and go, a low approach, or a full stop.

Once the Tower Controller is aware of the aircraft’s intentions within the control zone, they may be sequenced to the runway, with due consideration given to runway occupancy time.

Aircraft on the downwind should be passed the following information:

• Expected runway;
• Sequence;
• Traffic information if applicable

Inbound VFR aircraft shall be sent to Tower with enough time such that two-way radio communications have been established before aircraft enter the ATZ.

On initial contact, Tower will pass the instructions for joining the circuit, as well as any other pertinent information such as traffic information with the sector.

“CN-BOB, runway 01, enter ATZ via Borj Cedria, VFR”.

During times of heavy IFR arrival activity, VFR arrivals may be denied entry into the control zone and instructed to hold outside of the CTR awaiting further instructions. Once a slot has been coordinated between Tower and Approach, VFR arrivals may proceed, however, the estimated delay must be given to the pilot if the clearance limit surpasses 5 minutes.

“CN-BOB, hold outside of the CTR, expect onward clearance time 55”.

Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC)

Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) are the meteorological conditions expressed in terms of visibility, distance from cloud, and ceiling equal to or better than specified minima.

VMC are Essentially:

• When above 3,000ft or 1,000ft above terrain, whichever is higher:

• 1500m horizontally and 1,000 ft vertically from cloud;

• Flight visibility 5km below 10,000ft and 8km above 10,000 ft.

• When below 3,000 ft or 1,000 ft above terrain, whichever is higher:

• Clear of cloud and in sight of the surface;

• Flight visibility 5km.

ATC shall advise pilots of aircraft, other than helicopters, intending to operate under VFR, inbound to or outbound from aerodromes in Class D airspace, if the reported meteorological visibility reduces to less than 5000 m and/or the cloud ceiling is less than 1500 feet.

The controller should then ask the pilot which type of clearance is required and then give it to the pilot.