PIT to Modernize Airfield Lighting

The new terminal is the focal point of the transformation underway at Pittsburgh International Airport but there is a project taking place on the airfield that will be “more visible.”

Starting this fall, nearly 7,300 incandescent airfield lights will be replaced by LED fixtures that will improve efficiency and save money.

LED lights are more energy-efficient and can last tens of thousands of hours, leading to less frequent replacements compared to older incandescent lights.

“The old incandescent fixtures are becoming increasingly difficult to repair and wait times for replacement parts can last several months,” said Jim Moorhead, PIT’s Vice President of Airport Operations. “Manufacturers are discontinuing incandescent lights as the industry transitions to more efficient Light -Emitting Diode (LED) technology .”

PIT’s lighting project also will modernize 360 airfield signs, including directional signs and distance markers guiding pilots on the airfield.

A number of other major U.S airports have implemented or are in the process of switching to LED lighting for their airfields. Airports such as Boca Raton Airport and Dayton Beach International Airport have recently completed LED lighting projects.

PIT is partnering with The Efficiency Network (TEN), a subsidiary of Duquesne Light Holdings, on the project. The Allegheny County Airport Authority voted at its board meeting on June 27 to finance the nearly $26 million project over 15 years with an annual payment of about $1.5 million.

Completion of the project is expected by late 2026.