HIAL invests over £9 million in energy efficient runway lighting at Kirkwall and Inverness airports 

Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) is to speculate £9 million in new energy efficient Aeronautical Ground Lighting (AGL) programs at Kirkwall and Inverness airports as a part of an ongoing programme to keep up airport infrastructure that may also deliver environmental advantages. 

Following open tender processes, contractors GMR Henderson have been awarded the contract to hold out the work at Kirkwall, with G&A Barnie chosen for the undertaking at Inverness.

The AGL system supplies visible steerage to pilots throughout touchdown, taxiing and take-off in darkness and when visibility is impaired on account of adversarial climate circumstances. The new lighting will guarantee  the airports can proceed to function safely and be compliant with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) necessities. They may also scale back energy consumption by as much as 80%.

The work has been deliberate to make sure  there isn’t a impression on flights with little disturbance at both airport. Set to start in April, the work will proceed by way of to mid-September at Inverness, with Kirkwall on account of full in October.

Graeme Bell, Inverness Airport General Manager, stated: “The new lighting represents a big modernisation of our airfield lighting system and will contribute to decreased upkeep schedules whereas at the identical time lowering the airport’s environmental footprint.

“The energy saving qualities of the new system will contribute significantly to reducing our energy consumption at Inverness airport”. Kirkwall Airport Manager, Kimberley Fisher, stated: “Having this new LED AGL system in place not solely retains our runways protected and compliant with regulation, but in addition helps our work to be extra energy efficient.

“The project has been designed to create a seamless transition from the old to the new more sustainable system without impacting our services.” Of the general determine, £5 million is being invested in Kirkwall and £4 million in Inverness.