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Writer's pictureMike Weeks

Southampton Airport: Construction Project Update

Updated: Aug 16


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Iconic Project Management successfully led the upgrade and replacement of Southampton Airport PAPI lights to LED.

 

A truck on the asphalt of an airport runway at night

What are PAPI lights?


PAPI stands for Precision Approach Path Indicator. These lights are essential tools for pilots, providing visual guidance on the correct approach angle for landing. They help pilots make accurate and safe landings.


Typically, four PAPI lights are placed in a line beside the runway. They emit two high-powered beams of light: the lower part is red, and the top part is white. The combination of red and white lights tells the pilot their position relative to the ideal glide path:


  • Four white lights: Too high.

  • Three white, one red: Slightly high.

  • Two white, two red: On the correct glide path.

  • One white, three red: Slightly low.

  • Four red lights: Too low.


LED PAPI lights are the modern, energy-efficient version of these indicators. They use Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) as their light source.


A photo of an airport runway at dusk. Four red PAPI lights are visible to the right
This airport in Spain has PAPI lights to the right of the runway

Why Southampton Airport's Construction Project is Groundbreaking


Over Wednesday and Thursday night this week, Iconic Project Management led the upgrade of the PAPI lights at Southampton Airport to latest generation LED models. Whilst other airports have recently installed LED PAPIs, we believe this is the first installation in Europe of this latest model of LED PAPI that can be directly installed within existing PAPI fittings. This type of installation reduces the cost and complexity of the installation and also reduces the extent of recalibration and commissioning activity.

 

At the same time, we took the opportunity to upgrade the CCRs (constant current regulators) that control and govern power to the PAPIs.

 


A worker installs an LED PAPI light at night


Given the safety critical nature of the work, and the fact that the system had to be fully operational for the first arrival of the morning, the installation work was meticulously planned over a number of months prior to the work on site this week.


We ensured that each of the components was individually tested ahead of installation and also conducted end-to-end system testing to make certain that each component communicated robustly with each other and the associated control and safety systems. Throughout the night, we ensured works on the airfield and in the electrical rooms were tightly controlled with formal permit and handover procedures. Each night closed with a precision test of the lights ahead of successful hand-back to operations in time for the first arrival of the morning.



How do LED PAPI's benefit Southampton Airport?

 

LED PAPIs have a number of advantages over old halogen lamps . Aside from the energy saving and sustainability benefits of LED, the lifespan of these new PAPIs is estimated to be in the region of 100,000 hours.


Operationally, the new lights are significantly brighter than the old halogen lights, improving the performance characteristics of the runway in low visibility conditions.


A close up of LED PAPI lights

We are proud to have successfully managed this construction project and to have helped with such a ground-breaking renovation for the airport. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Southampton airport and hope we can help them to innovate further with any future construction projects.


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Author


Mike Weeks


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Mike has over 15 years experience in the construction industry, delivering both single site projects and multi-site programmes of work. He has worked in the retail, aviation, commercial and real estate sectors, in both client and consultant organisations.


Mike particularly loves working closely with customers and stakeholders to ensure their brief has been fully understood.

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