ADB SAFEGATE’s LED AGL installations cross 1.2 million mark

ADB SAFEGATE has achieved a key milestone in airfield ground lighting (AGL) with the installation of the 1.2 millionth LED AGL fixture globally. The company began LED design, development and production more than 15 years ago, and today more than 750 airports use ADB SAFEGATE’s LED solutions. With 2 out of 3 LED airfield lights worldwide installed by ADB SAFEGATE, the company reinforces its leadership in LED airfield lighting industry.

The achievement of this key milestone reflects the continuation of universal acceptance of LED airfield lighting as the standard in AGL as more and more airports switch to the energy-efficient technology to meet their sustainability goals. Today, two out of three LED lights installed in airports worldwide are from ADB SAFEGATE. One out of four of these LEDs is an intelligent light, which are also being implemented at a breathtaking speed.

Christian Onselaere

Christian Onselaere, CEO ADB SAFEGATE

“Since our first LED trials at Brussels Airport, and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in the US, airports around the world have come to realize our experience and competencies with this technology. This makes us the first choice for many of the world’s leading airports as well as a growing number of smaller category airports which rely on our LED offering to pursue their ‘green airport’ strategies,” said Christian Onselaere, CEO, ADB SAFEGATE.

ADB SAFEGATE’s LED-based lights are ICAO and FAA compliant, and offer up to 84% in energy savings vis-à-vis conventional lighting, enabling ADB SAFEGATE’s airport customers to reduce carbon emissions by more than 40 tonnes a year (based on 750 medium and large sized airports and an average annual savings of 50kg at one mid-sized airport).

Because LED AGL has a longer life and is resilient in all weather conditions, it requires less maintenance and dramatically improves airfield availability, resulting in decreased costs associated with maintenance and runway shutdowns. Typically, the payback time for LED AGL from ADB SAFEGATE can be two years or even less.

Another milestone for ADB SAFEGATE will be the opening of the world’s largest airfield lighting production facility in Zaventem, Brussels, to meet the sharp increase in demand for LEDs worldwide. The Zaventem facility will be ADB SAFEGATE’s Lights Center of Excellence. It is the largest of only a few such facilities globally.

Steve Rutland, COO, ADB SAFEGATE.

Steve Rutland, COO, ADB SAFEGATE.

“This autumn will see the completion of a major project to bring the production of all our lighting products under one roof. We have invested €1.5 million in building a Lights Center of Excellence at our Zaventem plant in Belgium,” said Steve Rutland, COO, ADB SAFEGATE.

The investment focuses on refurbishing several parts of the factory, installing new workstations and tooling for production of AGL, as well as introducing new state of the art assembly processes to increase efficiency and productivity. A new quality lab will be located next to the ensuing goods and production departments which will allow ADB SAFEGATE to strengthen the company’s quality focus

Once completed, the center will allow ADB SAFEGATE to increase AGL production up to three times the current capacity.

ADB SAFEGATE pioneered LED fixtures for AGL and is the sole producer of a full portfolio of LED airfield lighting solutions. It fully manages the process from innovation to design to development and production.

A notable mention is the world’s largest implementation of 35,000 intelligent LED airfield lights by ADB SAFEGATE at the Istanbul New Airport. The new airport is expected to be the world’s largest and Turkey’s primary airport and will serve as a hub between Europe and Asia. ADB SAFEGATE will also supply and commission all visual aids, including transistor regulators, transformers, approach solutions (flashers, PAPI, approach lighting), energy efficient power solutions and mounting equipment for the Istanbul Airport. Deliveries begin this year, continuing into 2018.

One of the busiest international airports in Germany, Dϋsseldorf Airport, is also among the latest to select ADB SAFEGATE for its state-of-the-art LED flashing system.

ADB SAFEGATE is a leading provider of intelligent solutions that deliver superior airport performance from approach to departure. We partner with airports and airlines to analyze their current structures and operations, and jointly identify and solve bottlenecks. Our consultative approach enables airports to improve efficiency, enhance safety and environmental sustainability, as well as reduce operational costs. Our portfolio includes solutions and services that harmonize airport performance, tackling every aspect of traffic handling and guidance, from approach, runway and taxiway lighting, to tower-based traffic control systems and intelligent gate and docking automation. ADB SAFEGATE has 900+ employees in more than 20 countries and serves some 2,500+ airports in more than 175 countries.