Why do runway lights stay on when one lamp burns out? Because of the wiring. Most airports run airfield ground lighting on a series circuit, one long loop of cable with every lamp fed through a small isolation transformer. A lamp dies, the transformer keeps the loop closed, and the rest carry on.

Here’s the part I find oddly satisfying. The current stays fixed, not the voltage. A constant current regulator pushes about 6.6 amps through the loop at full brightness and drops to lower steps for dimmer settings. Most electrical systems people know work the other way round.

What sits on the ground

Edge lights are white, and the runway ends switch to red or green depending on which way you’re facing. Taxiways get blue edges and green centerlines. The colours follow ICAO standards, so a pilot landing in Delhi reads the same signals as one landing in Dubai.

Inset fixtures are the tough ones. They sit flush in the pavement and get rolled over by aircraft wheels all day, so the airfield lighting equipment has to survive weight and heat that a normal street lamp never sees.

Picking who to buy from

In my experience, the lamp is rarely what fails. It’s the cable joint, buried and wet and forgotten. Keep that in mind when you compare airfield lighting companies, because a good AGL supplier will talk about joints and splices before you ask.

The list of airport runway lights manufacturers is short. Ask each for photometric test reports and compliance papers, and check what India’s DGCA or your own regulator expects. Then ask about spares and lead times. A slow spare costs you a closed taxiway.

Bildal Electricals is worth adding to a vendor list, and the same questions apply to them as to anyone.

FAQs

What is airfield ground lighting?

The lights on the ground at an airport: runway, taxiway, and approach lights that guide pilots at night and in poor visibility.

How do I choose an AGL supplier?

Look at test reports, regulator approvals, and how they handle spares for the airfield lighting equipment. A glossy catalogue tells you very little.

Do airfield lighting companies also install the systems?

Some do, some only supply. Ask early, because a split between supply and installation can add weeks.

Which airport runway lights manufacturers meet ICAO standards?

Ask each one for the paperwork. Don’t trust a brochure line that says “compliant” with nothing behind it.