Brighter direction for Rockhampton Airport’s runway

Published on 03 July 2015

Rockhampton Airport’s major runway lighting upgrade is well underway and is set to switch on later this year.

The $7.1million project will provide a much brighter LED lighting system that will  enhance navigation of the runway for pilots on the approach during adverse weather conditions.

The three year project is in its third and final stage and will also feature rapid flashing Runway End Identification Lights (REIL) installed at both ends of the runway to assist pilots with early identification of the runway when approaching and descending.

Rockhampton Regional Council’s Chair of Business Enterprise Councillor Neil Fisher said the new LED lighting system will not only enhance navigation for pilots but will also provide long term benefits.

“The LED lights will bring our Airport’s runway up to date with the latest aviation technology and more importantly it will ensure a greater experience for pilots landing on our runway at night,” Cr Fisher said.

“The lights are also a very cost effective solution in the long term as they will only use a fraction of the power that our current light system uses.

“We are very much looking forward to the end result when the system is commissioned towards the end of this year,” he said.

As part of the construction, passengers may notice areas of dark and wide strips alongside the runway and taxiways where the lights are being installed. This product is called Gromulch and is used by contractors to reinstate grassed areas after trenching and installing the underground ducts for cabling of the lighting system.