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orbsi
13th Feb 2019, 16:39
If an international airport has daily operating hours = 06:00 to midnight, and assuming there are no late departures or arrivals, would the runway lights normally be left on or turned off for the remaining 6 hours?

evansb
13th Feb 2019, 19:39
Don't most international airports have ARCAL? (Aircraft Radio Control of Aerodrome Lighting) or PAL? (Pilot Activated-Lighting).

orbsi
13th Feb 2019, 23:24
Thankyou evansb. I have checked and believe that at the particular international airports I am interested in there is no ability to turn on the runway lights from the air. Giving as example Shannon airport (Ireland), all departures and arrivals appear to be in period approx 6am-midnight, just curious whether the runway lights are left on or turned off during the other hours?

Rwy in Sight
16th Feb 2019, 07:22
Some twenty years ago, I lived in a mix (civil-military airport) as I was doing my military service. The airport served international flights as well (flight actually). The lights were turned off every night after the Air Force fights stopped for the night. And if a med-evac flight was taking fight the airport was activated handled the flight and closed down again after the departure of C-130

pottwiddler
17th Feb 2019, 21:47
As Lookingforajob, says, many airports do work at night, but as a general rule, if it's not required by CAP168 or the pilot landing then switch it off. Aerodrome Ground Lightning is horrendously expensive to run, both in terms of energy cost, even with LED lamps, cost of renewal of the lamps (based on hours run) cabling and other equipment.
The same goes for Apron lighting, if no-one needs to be working on the standf then that too should be switched off.

orbsi
21st Feb 2019, 22:40
Thankyou to Rwy in Sight + LookingForAJob + pottwiddler.
Some of the airports I am looking at are Kota Bharu + Penang + Langkawi all in Malaysia + Banda Aceh in Indonesia..
I think these 4 airports have no incoming or outgoing flights in the period approx midnight to 06:00 (local time).
So I am assuming that possibly soon after the last incoming or outgoing flight, the runway lights might be turned off and the tower unmanned.
If it's dark night with no moonlight and the runway lights are off would it be possible to land safely?
Would there be enough illumination of the runway, from only the obstacle lights, and the aircraft's own landing lights?