EDDL - Approach

Düsseldorf Approach is primarily responsible for all arrivals and departures at Düsseldorf Airport EDDL and Mönchengladbach Airport EDLN. If sector Bottrop (BOT) is not staffed separately, its tasks are also taken over by Arrival, which means that arrivals and departures to/from Niederrhein-Weeze EDLV and Geilenkirchen ETNG also are within the area of responsibility.

Sectorization and Airspace

Düsseldorf Approach (DLA)

Düsseldorf Approach (DLA) is the primary station and is mainly responsible for the Düsseldorf TMA.

In general, the arriving aircraft should use the transitions, directs or vectors. STARs should not be used as they all lead to DUS VOR close to the airport as initial approach fix. 

During a constant arrival stream into Düsseldorf on northern and southern downwind, Approach should hand over traffic with 6 NM or greater spacing per downwind to enable Feeder to create an efficient final.

The arrival controller is responsible for clearing the procedures, but can also delegate this to the centre controller by agreement (exception: PISAP/LMA arrivals).

Sector Düsseldorf Arrival (DLA)

Winter-MVA: The 3200 ft AMSL MVA area south of the final runway 23L can be used down to -10 °C with summer MVA (3000 ft AMSL). The 2200 ft AMSL range around the airport can be used down to 0°C with summer MVA (2000 ft AMSL).

High Traffic at Cologne: During high traffic situations at EDDK with 13 operations and low traffic at EDDL, DKA can request a general airspace crossing to vector inbounds 13L/R through the DLA sector. Traffic need to stay at 5.000ft or below within AoR of DLA and at least 3 NM south of the extended centerline RWY 05R. Further individual coordination for level and extension possible when required. 

Düsseldorf outbounds out of runway 23L/R to the south via DODEN, KUMIK, NUDGO, COL, NVO and GMH require a startup and departure release by DLA (expect departure around 10 - 15 minutes after startup)! For all waypoints outbounds can be cleared via MEVEL SID and radar vectors to the first filed waypoint. 

Withdrawing the agreement requires around 10 - 15 minutes for DKA and should be done shortly after a startup release prior the departure release.

DLA has to inform DUS Tower when this agreement is in operation!

Important Areas

The Dortmund Area (shown in orange) is between GND and FL65 and permanently operates under PADL's responsibility for all Dortmund inbound and outbound flights. Düsseldorf Arrival must keep aircraft at or above FL70 in this area. When operating below this altitude, each aircraft requires an individual release from PADL.

The TEBRO Area (shown in red) spans from FL205 to FL245 and permanently operates under EHAA's control. Amsterdam departures pass through this area.

Important Areas

Feeder - Düsseldorf Arrival (former Director) (DLAT)

Düsseldorf Arrival can be split into two units to distribute the workload along two controllers with a lot of traffic. DLAT takes on the tasks of the feeder, while DLA handles the tasks of the so-called pickup. Both operate within the same airspace, so there are no fixed transfer conditions. However, certain aspects should be taken into consideration:

• The pickup ensures that the aircraft have the correct ATIS, inform a/c about runway to land, and establishes a sequence. This is achieved by using speeds, vectors, or transitions, as well as appropriate and separated levels. Coordination of the sequence between both units is not required, as long as the pickup transfers the aircraft to the feeder in the order planned for the sequence. Any deviation from this order should always be coordinated.
• The feeder's task is to line up the aircraft on final approach with optimal spacing. The minimum spacing for the same runway is 3.0 NM. If the aircraft are landing on different runways, the separation can be reduced to 2.5 NM within 10 NM of the threshold.
• At the same time, there is a constant effort to balance the workload between both units. The pickup may also be occupied with other problems in the sector, which justifies the presence of a feeder even during heavy inbound traffic. Additionally, a feeder can, for instance, handle IFR cancellations for Essen inbounds on runway 23 or manage Mönchengladbach in- and outbounds during 05 operations, thereby relieving the pickup. This often makes sense because the feeder is already separating inbounds in this area anyway, which also reduces coordination to a minimum.
• If the pickup is very busy however the feeder has less traffic, handoffs can be done early and without sufficient spacing, vectors or speeds as long as separation exists. In this case the feeder has the capacity to establish sufficient spacing and is able to reduce the workload of the pickup controller.
• The workload balancing also works in the opposite direction. If the feeder becomes very busy and reaches his capacity limits, the pickup must ensure that aircraft are sent as simply and uniformly as possible. In such cases, aircraft should be transferred with sufficient spacing on the downwind at FL70 or FL80 and a speed of 220 knots. Significant deviations from the downwind make the feeder's job harder. If the aircraft are too low, there is a risk of entering the PADL Wickede during 23 operations. Additionally, this provides the feeder with enough levels to work with vertical separation effectively.
  

Reduced Minimum Radar Separation

Minimum separation of IFR flights approaching the parallel runway system (23L & 23R or 05L & 05R) can be reduced to 2.5 NM, according to AIP, if no wake turbulence separation has to be applied:

Reduced Minimum Radar Separation for Diagonal Staggered Approaches (Based on NfL I - 9/09)

1. The Minimum Radar Separation (MRS) for diagonal staggered approaches to parallel runways at Düsseldorf Airport is 2.5 NM between 10 NM and the touchdown point.

2. The reduced MRS will be applied to landing directions 05 and 23, provided
the following conditions are met:
- Preceding and succeeding aircraft are approaching different parallel runways.
- Both aircraft are established on the final approach track.

Quote from AIP Germany/AD 2 EDDL 1-23 (by the German Luftfahrt-Bundesamt), applicable on VATSIM.

Sector Bottrop (BOT)

Sector Bottrop is responsible for the lower airspace approximately north of Düsseldorf and a small part above the arrival sector. In addition to arrivals and departures for Niederrhein-Weeze (EDLV) and the Geilenkirchen military airfield (ETNG), its tasks primarily include through flights to and from Düsseldorf.

Border Langen Radar Sector Bottrop (BOT)

If the Bottrop sector is not staffed separately, it is taken over by Düsseldorf Approach by default.  

Flights through BOT: In addition to the flights to and from Düsseldorf, there are also flights in lower airspace and to destinations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The respective transfer altitudes are published in the respective LoA. Flights to Münster/Osnabrück (EDDG) via BAMSU must be cleared for the BAMSU#J arrival before the transfer to the HMM sector takes place.

Düsseldorf Departure (DLD)

Düsseldorf Departure is responsible for departures out of Düsseldorf EDDL and Mönchengladbach EDLN. According to the departure procedures, pilots have to contact Departure when passing 2000ft AMSL.

Frisbee Radar (TNGA)

The military approach sector Frisbee Radar is responsible for all departures from Geilenkirchen's (ETNG) runway 09 and approaches to Geilenkirchen's runway 27.

The transfer conditions for all approaches to runway 27 must be coordinated individually with Frisbee Radar. Departures from runway 09 flying an SID will be handed over at the sector boundary at 3000ft at the latest, unless otherwise coordinated; for departures on an OID, the handover conditions will be coordinated individually by Frisbee Radar. Frisbee Radar always has to obtain a release by BOT for all departures.

Charts for military airfields are available within the german Military-AIP.

Potential Conflicts

05-Operations

• After a short time, all outbounds on a SID cross the STARs or transitions of the inbounds (north via HALME, south via DOMUX). The outbound flights should be below (max. FL90) the inbound flights (min. FL100). After passing the crossing point, descent and climb can be continued.
• The STARs and transitions originating from PISAP, HALME and BIKMU ultimately all meet north of the airport at point GAPNU. Those from DOMUX and ELDAR (05 operations only) meet to the south at point DL502. Good advance planning and pre-sorting for the final approach is recommended here.
• The MODRU/NETEX SID not only crosses the approaching traffic coming via HALME, as mentioned above, but also the approaching traffic coming via PISAP. Whenever possible, attempts should be made to guide departing aircraft over the approaching aircraft.
• Both departures and arrivals can come via the LMA NDB. Here too, it is advisable to stagger the traffic vertically and initially keep departures below the arrivals until there is no longer a conflict for the further climb or descent clearance.
• EDLN departures from runway 13 cross the EDDL final approach shortly after departure. Mönchengladbach Tower therefore always requires a departure release from DLAT for 13 operations. In this case, DLAT and DLA should coordinate a sufficient gap between EDDL approaches and, if necessary, issue the departure release with the condition of an immediate take-off.
• EDLN approaches to runway 31 cross the EDDL final approach. DLAT and DLA should coordinate a sufficient gap between EDDL approaches. It also makes sense for DLAT to guide the EDLN approach to the final approach.

23-Operations

• All aircraft departing via the southern SIDs cross the traffic approaching via BIKMU. As this crosses BIKMU at FL140, departures should initially be kept below FL140 and cleared for further climb after passing the conflict area.
• All STARs and transitions from points BIKMU, LMA, PISAP and HALME end at BOT NDB or meet at points XAMOD and DL426. Good advance planning and pre-sorting for the final approach is recommended here.
• Both departures and arrivals can come via the LMA NDB. Here too, it is advisable to stagger the traffic vertically and initially keep departures below the arrivals until there is no longer a conflict for the further climb or descent clearance.
• EDLN departures from runway 13 are not necessarily separated from EDDL departures, depending on the respective climb rates. Mönchengladbach Tower therefore always requires a departure release from DLD for 13 operations. DLD should therefore pay particular attention to separation in this situation. If necessary, DLD can also instruct Düsseldorf Tower to hold departures briefly to enable a safe EDLN departure.

Holdings

In case holdings are required, traffic should be held by Approach and only the lowest inbound aircraft should be sent to the Feeder. These holdings should be used with caution as they are directly in the downwind sector.

• DUS (min. 3,000 ft AMSL, max. 24,000 ft AMSL)
• DLA503 and DLA524 - 05 operations (min. 4,000 ft AMSL, max. FL070)
• DLA409 and DLA429 - 23 operations (min. 4,000 ft AMSL, max. FL070)

Enroute-Holdings

As the above-mentioned holdings partly block the arrival sector and make working more difficult, published enroute holdings are preferably used for Düsseldorf.

• ADEMI (DOMUX Arrivals - min. 6000ft AMSL - Inbound 284° - Left)
• HMM (HALME Arrivals - min. 5000ft AMSL - Inbound 257° - Left)
• DOMEG (HALME Arrivals - min. 5000ft AMSL - Inbound 170° - Left)
• ELDAR (BIKMU Arrivals - min. 6000ft AMSL - Inbound 358° - Left)
• NVO (BIKMU Arrivals - min. 6000ft AMSL - Inbound 068° - Right)
  

Crosscoupling of Approach Frequencies

Düsseldorf Approach (EDDL_APP) cross-couples all other EDDL_X_APP frequencies via XC in Audio for VATSIM. This enables us to always use the correct departure frequency (published on the charts) when the approach/departure is staffed.

When EDLN is staffed, the controllers there must always be informed of the active operating direction in EDDL.