Swedish airfield lighting in need of an upgrade

February 19, 2024

We believe that many of the country's airports and heliports are facing a change when it comes to lighting. On one hand, we have the aspect of sustainability to consider, with a shift from halogen to LED. On the other hand, there is the maintenance aspect, with elevated lights versus the advantages of inset lights, as well as the transition from parallel to serial systems. Let us break it down topic by topic, to avoid the country's airports falling behind.

The future light source is LED

Many of the country's airports and heliports are currently lit, wholly or partially, by halogen, but the future lies in LED. How can we be so sure?

Many factors indicate that airports and heliports should transition to LED as soon as possible – the benefits are numerous. LED has about 10 times longer lifespan and lower power consumption compared to halogen. Additionally, LED requires less maintenance, which also generates savings in both time and money. When a halogen light source is replaced, the gasket is often replaced as well, something that is both more expensive and requires longer maintenance work. Last but not least, it is becoming harder and harder to find spare parts for halogen lamps. Switching to LED makes it easier to ensure spare parts availability.

Investing in LED lighting enables airports and heliports to:

Reduce energy consumption
Minimize maintenance work
See long-term cost reductions

Follow the trend – update the lighting

A good number of the Swedish airports and heliports have already switched, wholly or partially, from halogen to equipment from CHS Controls with LED. Follow the example of some of the airports and heliports listed below – switch to more modern and sustainable equipment, upgrade to LED in airfield lighting and illuminated guidance signs from CHS Controls.

Some of the airports:

Gothenburg Landvetter Airport
Jönköping Airport
Linköping City Airport
Ljungbyheds Airport
Luleå Airport
Malmö Airport
Skövde Flygplats
Stockholm Arlanda Airport
Stockholm Skavsta Airport
Säve Flygplats
Åre Östersund Airport
Ängelholm Helsingborg Airport

Some of the heliports:

Borlänge Hospital
Gällivare Hospital
Gävle Hospital
Hudiksvall Hospital
Karolinska University Hospital, Solna
Lycksele Hospital
Mora Hospital
Skaraborg Hospital, Skövde
Skåne University Hospital, Lund
Sunderby Hospital, Luleå
Södra Älvsborg Hospital, Borås
Östra Hospital, Gothenburg
Several Hospitals in Norway

Inset heliport lights at Lycksele Hospital

The advantage of CHS Controls' inset lights

To begin with, our inset high-performance LED luminaires are energy-efficient and have a long lifespan. Additionally, an inset light is subjected to less strain compared to an elevated one, which can easily be hit by flight and maintenance personnel within the airport's operational surfaces.

We have developed protective adapters for full flush inset light that greatly simplify tasks such as snow removal, as they can be run over by a plow without being damaged. The protective adapters fit most of the inset lights in our range. Protective adapters for full flush inset light are available for runway edge, taxiway edge, taxiway centerline, runway end, and apron. New variants of protective adapters can also be designed to fit more inset lighting options.

Inset lights from CHS Controls also enable larger and more diverse foreign aircraft to land and take off on the Swedish runways. The design ensures that there is no impact on the lighting due to turbulence from engines or alternative braking devices.

Our inset lights and full flush inset lights for airports >
Our inset lights and full flush inset lights for heliports >

More possibilities with serial systems

Some airports and heliports in the country are currently operated by parallel systems, but the benefits of serial systems prevail in the long run. A serial system can feed long cables with higher voltage and can therefore feed lighting over a longer distance compared to parallel systems. Moreover, a serial system offers a modern control solution where the range of lamps is both larger and tailored to this.

A requested feature on LED lamps with low loss of power is additional heaters for Sweden’s temporarily cold climate, something that is present in most luminaires belonging to serial systems. Additionally, serial systems also allow monitoring of the function of each individual lamp.

Why airport lighting from CHS Controls?

Our main supplier, Italian OCEM Airfield Technology, is a global market leader in airfield lighting and thus recognized in the market with products that meet requirements according to EASA, ICAO, FAA, and STANAG. This makes our product range well-known across the world's airports and heliports.

Another advantage of OCEM's products is that they use so-called open source code. Open source code allows lighting to be powered and controlled regardless of the choice of brand. This also provides increased flexibility.

More about Constant current regulators, control system and accessories >

Do you want to discuss airfield lighting with us?

We are here at your disposal! If you are responsible for the lighting at an airport or heliport, do not hesitate to contact us. We have extensive experience and almost daily contact with one of the country's many heliports and airports, large and small, civilian,and military.