Rajiv Gandhi Airport completes switch to LED airfield ground lighting

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in India, has converted its entire airfield ground lighting (AGL) signage from compact fluorescent lamps to LEDs.

A total of 132 units of AGL signage were converted over a two-week period, with more than 350 LED strips being retrofitted to the signage.

LEDs are highly energy efficient, with a lifespan of more than 50,000 running hours. With the upgrade to LED signage, RGIA estimates that it will save nearly 45% of the energy used by conventional lights. This translates to a reduction of more than 20,000kg (22 tons) of CO2 per annum.

SGK Kishore, CEO, GHIAL, said, “We are close to turning RGIA into a 100% LED airport. Conversion of AGL signage into LED is one such firm step toward this commitment.

“Hyderabad Airport has also enhanced its captive solar power capacity from 5MW to 10MW. With this, we would be meeting the entire energy requirement of the terminal building during the day.”

RGIA recently converted its taxiway edge lights from conventional lamps to LED, becoming the first airport in south India to achieve this feat. The entire landside of the airport has also been converted to LED.