Air Traffic Management
Domain 2 tests how you turn the rules in Annex 11 and Doc 4444 into safe, orderly flow inside the Tehran FIR. The exam favours practical separation and clearance questions: what minimum applies, whether you may use it, and what you do when the assumption behind it fails.
Separation minima
Vertical separation is normally 1,000 ft below FL290 and 2,000 ft above, reduced to 1,000 ft between RVSM-approved aircraft in designated RVSM airspace. Procedural longitudinal separation on the same track and level is normally 10 minutes; crossing or reciprocal tracks normally require 15 minutes unless an approved method reduces it. Radar separation is normally 5 NM within identified surveillance coverage, with 3 NM only where the appropriate terminal procedure and coverage are approved. Lateral separation can be achieved by requiring aircraft to remain on specified tracks separated by a defined distance or by operating in separate areas.
Clearances
A clearance contains, as applicable, aircraft identification, clearance limit, route, level, speed or reporting instructions and any special conditions. Issue it in a standard sequence, obtain readback and act when the readback is wrong.
Worked example: two aircraft on the same track at FL350 report the same fix at 1200 and 1208. The first has groundspeed 450 kt. Ten minutes at 450 kt equals 75 NM; eight minutes equals 60 NM, so the gap is 15 NM short. You cannot keep both at FL350 procedurally. Assign one a different level or speed, or delay the second, then confirm the new spacing.
Traps: applying 5 NM radar separation without identification or coverage; forgetting groundspeed differences; using 1,000 ft above FL290 when RVSM approval or airspace status is not established.