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Doha – Qatar

Minister of Transport H.E. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti today launched an S-Band radar system at Hamad International Airport, to be used in air traffic control systems to monitor and manage air traffic for arriving and departing aircraft.

Established in conjunction with Italian Leonardo, the S-Band radar system is equipped with advanced features and unparalleled accuracy and will serve as the backbone of airspace surveillance, enabling swift and precise tracking of aircraft in real-time. By providing essential information to air traffic controllers, pilots, and aviation authorities, the radar system will significantly enhance situational awareness and streamline the management of air traffic.

This came at the launching event at the location of the radar at HIA, attended by Italian Ambassador to Qatar H.E. Paolo Toschi, Leonardo Electronics Senior VP Mr. Davide Fazio, and several officials from the MOT and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority.

The launching of this radar today and the previous milestones during such a short period of time demonstrate the progress achieved in Qatari air navigation, thus supporting the buildup of a civil aviation system that is leading and sustainable relying on the best policies and practices and highest global standards in the field, said H.E. Minister Al-Sulaiti.

The aim, he noted, is enhancing the country’s position on global aviation map to the best levels in terms of efficiency, quality, and advancement, thus achieving the QNV2030.

He added that the deployment of advanced air navigation systems and technologies has contributed to achieving the strategic goals for keeping pace with the need for increasing air traffic capacity as the number of air movements at Hamad International Airport and Doha International Airport, from the start of operations during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 through the end of the championship, reached 26425; the equivalent of a landing and a takeoff per minute.

The objective of the new radar is to provide complete redundancy for the primary and secondary radar data, through state-of-the-art technology in compliance with latest national and international standards. It allows controllers to track the position, altitude, speed, and heading of aircraft in real-time. This information enables controllers to provide separation between aircraft, issue instructions, and ensure safe and efficient flow of air traffic.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Mohamed Faleh Alhajri, in charge of managing the QCAA, said the launching of the S-Band radar was supporting the progress of the current stage and complementing the development plans in place, and a new step toward a more efficient future for civil aviation.

He added that installing new devices and advanced technologies directly contributes to increasing the capacity and opening additional air routes and this helps in the smooth flow of air traffic for arriving and departing aircraft.

In support of our national talent, he said, Qatari engineers and technicians have been trained in the technologies of the S-Band radar system at the manufacturing company in Italy as a first phase, and they will have hands-on training at the site of the radar here under the supervision of specialized engineers from Leonardo, Mr. Alhajri said.

The S-Band radar covers a range of 200 miles and a height of 45000 feet. It is connected to the Long-Rang L-Band radar for smooth air traffic and safe and secure aviation. It updates flight location every 5 seconds, helping detecting aircraft locations with high accuracy. Such instant updates also help air controllers prioritize landing and takeoff operations in a fashion that enables the landing and takeoff of 3 aircraft at the same time, using 3 tarmacs at HIA and DIA, thus increasing the capacity to 100 aircraft per hour. This system is taking effect for the first time in the Middle East.