White House Announces $201 Million Airport Lighting Upgrade Program

The White House announced today (Sept. 26) that more than $201 million will go to new or reconstructed runway and taxiway lighting systems as part of the administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. During an event marking the new program at Denver International Airport, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “We’re acting to improve lighting systems at 82 airports, an important part of keeping aircraft moving safely, no matter the time of day or weather.”

Airports getting funding for the improvements include: Denver International Airport—KDEN ($30.6 million for reconstructing runway and taxiway lighting systems); Rogue Valley International Airport—KMFR, Medford, Oregon ($3.4 million for lighting to indicate a temporarily closed runway, a new lighting vault, and reconstructing the Runway 14/32 lighting system); Boeing Field—KBFI, Seattle, Washington ($2.6 million for elevated runway guard lights); Dickinson/Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport—KDIK, Dickinson, North Dakota ($2 million for replacement approach path identifier lights).

Click here for a full list of all airports receiving runway/taxiway lighting funding under the new program. The law introduces new airport lighting technology to many airports, including in-pavement Runway Status Lights to alert pilots that entering a runway is unsafe; Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X), allowing air traffic controllers to track surface movement of aircraft and vehicles (a “sister system,” Airport Surface Surveillance Capability, is located at the country’s 43 largest airports); and ASDE-X Taxiway Arrival Prediction, which detects when pilot is lining up to land on a taxiway and signals controllers with visual and audible alerts.