Safety, Sustainability & ROI Will Drive LED Lighting Adoption in Aviation in 2024

Following the massive slowdown in air traffic during the pandemic, airports and aviation facilities are now facing a myriad of challenges as air travel sets new record levels. With more traffic comes increased safety concerns, including a recent surge in near-collisions on the ground, prompting new FAA investment in facility safety measures. 

At the same time, both U.S. and global entities are applying more pressure to reduce the environmental impact of aviation. A new UN policy aims to lower global aviation emissions 5% by 2030, and the FAA recently announced a $92 million investment to help U.S. airports reach Net Zero by 2050. 

Alongside the push toward automation and the demand for faster ROI on operational investments, all while maintaining profitability and shareholder satisfaction, LED lighting has emerged as one of the primary solutions in helping airports and other facilities meet these growing demands. Offering a safer, longer lasting and more energy efficient solution than conventional fixtures, LED lighting is proving to be an effective source of illumination in the harsh and high-vibration conditions surrounding airports and other aviation facilities.

Because of its long-life performance, durability and rapid innovation over the last several years, we expect LED adoption in the industry to continue at a rapid pace. These three trends will be the key drivers in the coming year: 

Increased Demand for LED Solutions Tailored to specific Applications. 

Over the past 15 years, LED lighting efficacy has outpaced other lighting technologies in both indoor and outdoor applications, now in excess of 200 lumens per watt (lm/W). With a wide variety of form factors now available to suit a broad range of needs, more precise lighting placement, and customizable color options, LEDs offer much greater all-around flexibility than conventional fixtures.

Corporate adoption will hinge on advanced features that go beyond energy savings, such as weather resistance, durability in high-traffic areas, and programmable features like scheduling, dimming and occupancy sensors to accommodate flight schedules and aircraft presence while minimizing burn time. These advanced capabilities coupled with LED’s low glare and ability to mimic natural daylight will aid in employee alertness and productivity, enhancing safety in critical areas, like walkways, runways, hangars, and tarmacs to help operations personnel identify hazards. 

As facilities demand LEDs for use in these broader applications, they will look for manufacturers that offer seamless retrofitting and customized power sources that enable operational efficiency and compatibility with existing infrastructure to minimize the impact of upgrades on operations and keep traffic flowing.

Regulations will Drive Swift Adoption of Sustainable, Future-Proof Equipment.

As much as LED performance is an incentive, regulatory influence will always be a factor in driving innovation. Environmental mandates in both the European Union and North America are pushing swift adoption of sustainable equipment and future-proofing strategies to maximize ROI. 

For example, because of their toxic contents, lower output and electrical efficiency, fluorescent and HID lights are being phased out globally. The U.S. Department of Energy has already banned production and sale of incandescent light bulbs as of August 2023, and Canada has prohibited the manufacture and import of most mercury-containing lamps. Meanwhile, minimum efficacy requirements in the UK are raising the minimum allowable lumens per watt from its current 120 lm/W to 140 lm/W by September 2027. Depending on the locale, facilities may qualify for tax incentives or face penalties for noncompliance, further motivating the adoption of sustainable equipment beyond the operational benefits.

This trend heavily favors the adoption of LED lighting, which has already been proven to meet these new standards. At Duncan Aviation, an LED lighting upgrade cut energy consumption by 44% per fixture and doubled light efficacy using just half the watts per fixture of the previous lighting, while drastically improving visibility, all with lights that will last at least a decade for dramatically less waste.

In addition to these environmental requirements, evolving safety standards will also push aviation facilities to upgrade their equipment around hazardous locations, such as fuel storage and self-service fuel stations. To ensure adherence, LED, ground support and other equipment manufacturers are now offering a wider range of products that meet these updated hazardous location certifications, combining efficacy, efficiency, reliability and enhanced safety.

 Advanced Financing Options will Accelerate the ROI of Upgraded Lighting and Other Equipment.

Many airports are adopting innovative financing methods like Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs), Leasing Programs, and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to overcome financial barriers and justify investments in facility modernization via energy-efficient solutions. These agreements incentivize decarbonization through partnership between a facility and energy service company (ESCO), where the ESCO helps design, implement and finance energy efficiency measures to achieve specific energy savings targets. 

In addition, the growing number of third-party accreditation for warranties (e.g., ​ The National Lighting Bureau (NLB)) offers aviation operators greater peace of mind that products will last and perform as promised.  With operating efficiency as high as 200 lm/W and long-life fixtures supported by a 10-year warranty, sustainable technology and equipment such as LED fixtures provide the lowest total cost of ownership compared to any other lighting source, with payback in as little as 18 months. Think about the savings potential if all equipment was gradually shifted over to advanced, net-zero conscious solutions.

While it’s true that the upfront investment in sustainable, safer equipment may be higher in the short-term, the long-term advantages and lower total cost of ownership more than outweigh the initial cost. Aside from energy savings, the long-life performance of LEDs and other sustainable upgrades drastically lowers maintenance burden, the cost of consumables and the safety risks inherent in airports and aviation facilities. That means more money and time for value-add tasks, so aviation operators can keep up with air demand while still meeting sustainability standards.

Fariyal Khanbabi is the CEO at Dialight, global leader in industrial LED lighting technology. Khanbabi brings over a decade of C-suite experience to her role, having formerly worked as CFO at Harvest Energy and Britannia Bulk, LTD. Having spent her entire career in the technology space, Khanbabi has become accustomed to being the only woman in the room and thus has proven to be a strong advocate for women in the workplace, especially in the LED industry.