Glasgow Airport to install more sustainable airfield lighting

A project is underway to swap out the LED floodlights illuminating Glasgow Airport’s airfield with a more sustainable model that is 25% more energy efficient.

Around 75% of the components housed in the outgoing lights will be collected and recycled by a Waste from Electronic and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) company before going back into the supply chain.

The Scottish gateway, which claims that the upgrade is part of its “continued commitment to sustainability and the circular economy”, notes that in 2013 it became the first airport in the world to upgrade to a fully LED-lit apron in compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

At the time, the move away from high-pressure sodium apron lighting improved energy efficiency by 60%.

The initial £130,000 multi-phase programme will also see the outgoing Sparta Series LED floodlights stripped down and their parts recycled by Midstream Lighting and replaced by the more energy efficient Modus 650, which are brighter and deliver great coverage using less fittings that also come with a longer lifespan.

Glasgow Airport’s operations director, Ronald Leitch, said: “We launched our Sustainability Strategy last summer and a key are of focus is the decarbonisation of our infrastructure and operations by the mid-2030s.

“Glasgow Airport led the way in 2013 when we upgraded the lighting system on our apron ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and improving our energy efficiency by more than half.

“As the current lighting is nearing the end of its lifecycle, we are not only gaining further energy efficiency and improved lighting by installing the new Modus 650 LED series, but the overall project will also support our circular economy commitments by ensuring the Sparta lights are also recycled.”

The year-long project will see a team of engineers from Dewhurst Airfield Services replace just under 120 fittings housed within the 20-metre-high floodlights positioned across all the apron areas where aircraft are parked at Glasgow Airport.