LEDs ready for takeoff in aviation industry - By: metaplume

Have you ever watched the runway lights gleaming up as a welcome mat during a night landing? Lighting is a major expense for airports. According to a recent report, the operating cost of airports reduces by 10-30% annually if the lighting system is replaced by energy efficient alternatives such as LEDs. Airlines also have opportunities to cut costs by reviewing their lighting solutions.
Both Honeywell and Airbus committed to replacing the lights in the forward segment of the wings on all future A320 aircraft. Honeywell forecasted that it will save USD 30,000 during the lifespan of each aircraft and the lights will last for 20,000 hours of use.
Back on the ground, it’s staggering when you realize the amount of lights used in airports. There are runway lights, takeoff lights, taxiway lights, threshold lights, approach lights, helipad lights, signal lights, obstruction lights, runway guard lights, and security fence lights ... and they can all use LEDs.
One of the busiest airports in the US, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International airport has achieved a 98% decrease in power consumption and maintenance costs by switching to LEDs for runway lights. The savings on electricity was terrific, with 17,000 runway lights consuming only 40,000 kWh of electricity, compared to 2.21 million kWh in the previous system. The LED replacement has also reduced the airport’s yearly carbon emissions by 5.4 million pounds, sulfur emissions by 28,000 pounds and saves 4,700 gallons of gasoline from maintenance trucks.
And let’s not forget the terminal itself. LEDs can also be used for general lighting of airports hallways, lounges, and parking. General lighting incurs a hefty cost for airport operators since terminals never really close. LEDs, due to their long lasting nature, energy efficiency, and lower maintenance costs, can drastically reduce this burden.
Air transportation is the only way to reach some remote locations in the world and in remote locations that are not on a regular electrical grid, airstrips can be struggling for enough power for safe lighting systems. LED lights are ideal because they consume only a fraction of the power of other solutions and they can run smoothly using alternative sources of energy such as solar panels.
LEDs have a lot of advantages over traditional lighting solutions in the aviation industry. LED signal lights with the same luminosity as that of incandescents and halogens bulbs are much brighter.
Colored lights are regularly used in runways for signaling. Green lights are used at airports to clear aircraft for takeoffs, red to signal that a runway is unsafe for landing, alternate red/green lights for extreme caution and blinking lights for clearing a runway for landing. LEDs easily produce different colors without the need of filters and colored lenses. The fewer the number of parts of any system, the lower the maintenance. Multi-color LED bulbs support a wide range of colors and different brightness levels.
Landing lights are used by aircrafts during landings and takeoffs, so that airport towers have a visual cue of the aircraft. LEDs withstand this strenuous use and terrible weather conditions.
LEDs are also used for task lighting inside the aircraft such as cockpit, and luggage compartments. The steady beam of LED lights also makes them an ideal replacement for reading lights in aircrafts. LED lights are often packaged as modules of tiny LED bulbs, which can be molded into different shapes and patterns to provide flexibility in designing interior lighting. Aircrafts are now replete with a wide range of electronic devices … LEDs consume less power and therefore more power is available for electronic devices.
The aviation industry has a huge investment in lighting solutions and the returns they get from LED replacement are high. With their longer life, power savvy nature, low maintenance, rapid on/off time and reliability, it should be no surprise that LEDs are the centre of many lighting renovations at major airports.

Have you ever watched the runway lights gleaming up as a welcome mat during a night landing? Lighting is a major expense for airports. According to a recent report, the operating cost of airports reduces by 10-30% annually if the lighting system is replaced by energy efficient alternatives such as LEDs. Airlines also have opportunities to cut costs by reviewing their lighting solutions.

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