Runway Lighting Requirements

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has minimum lighting standards for runways that operate at night. The lights must define the limits of the runway. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires runway lighting, as well as other visual aids, to be understandable by pilots from all over the world. Minimum runway lighting includes edge lighting, threshold lighting and end lighting. The airport may provide supplementary lighting, including runway end identifier lights, centerline lights, and touchdown zone lights.