Airfield Ground Lighting
Airfield ground lighting (AGL) covers the runway, taxiway, and apron fixtures, edge lights, threshold lights, PAPI approach slope indicators, that guide pilots during taxi, takeoff, and landing in darkness or low visibility. NLS has supplied AGL fixtures built to ICAO Annex 14 and GACA airfield lighting standards for Saudi airbase and heliport projects, a core specialism of the company.
Airfield ground lighting is the fixture system laid into and alongside a runway, taxiway, and apron so a pilot can identify the surface, its edges, and the approach path visually, independent of daylight or ground visibility. The category spans runway edge lights (white, switching to yellow on the final section before the threshold), threshold and runway end lights (green and red), taxiway edge and centerline lights (blue and green), precision approach path indicator (PAPI) units that show the correct glide slope on final approach, and apron floodlighting for aircraft parking and turnaround areas. ICAO Annex 14 Volume I sets the photometric intensity, beam spread, colour, and siting tolerance for each fixture type, and GACA applies the same reference standard to licensed aerodromes and heliports across the Kingdom.
This is one of NLS's built specialisms, not a category picked up alongside everything else the company sells. NLS sources LED airfield lighting fixtures, in-pavement and elevated types, to IEC 60598 luminaire safety requirements and the photometric classes ICAO Annex 14 sets, along with the constant current regulators that power the series circuits most AGL fixture strings run on, and has supplied fixtures into Saudi airbase and heliport projects on that basis.
Saudi ambient conditions push harder on AGL fixtures than the base test standard assumes. In-pavement fixtures take jet blast, tyre contact, and runway surface heat that can sit well above the fixture's rated ambient in summer, so lens material and thermal management need checking against actual pavement temperature rather than air temperature alone. Airborne dust and sand also work into fixture seals over time, which is why IP66/IP68-rated housings and gasket quality matter more here than on a typical outdoor fixture, and why a fixture built for a temperate climate tends to under-perform once installed on a Saudi apron.
A project team typically comes to NLS with the airfield lighting plan or fixture schedule from the aeronautical design, including series circuit current (commonly 6.6A) and fixture count per circuit, and NLS returns a fixture recommendation with matched CCR sizing and a USD quote. Lead time runs longer for in-pavement fixtures built to a specific frangibility and load rating than for elevated edge or approach fixtures, so confirming fixture type early avoids a late schedule surprise.
Specifications
- ✓Fixture types: runway edge, threshold/end, taxiway edge and centerline, PAPI approach slope indicators, apron floodlighting
- ✓Photometric classes, colour, and siting per ICAO Annex 14 Volume I; GACA applies the same standard to licensed Saudi aerodromes
- ✓Luminaire safety to IEC 60598, in-pavement (L-850 series) and elevated (L-861 series) fixture types available
- ✓Constant current regulator (CCR) sizing matched to series circuit current, commonly 6.6A
- ✓IP66/IP68-rated sealed housings for jet blast, dust, and sand exposure on Saudi runways and aprons
- ✓LED source for extended fixture life over incandescent, reducing runway lamp-change downtime
Frequently Asked Questions
Who supplies airfield ground lighting in Saudi Arabia?+
NLS sources and has supplied airfield ground lighting fixtures built to ICAO Annex 14 and GACA airfield standards for Saudi airbase and heliport projects. This is a core specialism of the company rather than a general catalog add-on.
What's the difference between in-pavement and elevated AGL fixtures?+
In-pavement fixtures (the L-850 series) sit flush with the runway or taxiway surface and take direct tyre contact and jet blast, built to a frangibility and load rating. Elevated fixtures (the L-861 series) mount on a frangible stake beside the pavement edge, easier to service but only used where clearance from the wheel path allows it.
What lead time should I expect for airfield lighting fixtures in KSA?+
In-pavement fixtures with a specific frangibility and load rating typically carry a longer factory lead time than elevated edge or approach fixtures. NLS confirms an exact schedule once fixture type, circuit current, and quantity from the lighting plan are set.