1 day Ago By John Pullen
Hilo International Airport (ITO) plays an important role in Hawaii’s aviation industry. The airport connects locals with other parts of the state and world, all while granting tourists easy access to the beauty and excitement of a Hawaiian vacation. Hilo is a smaller airport and does not receive as much traffic as Honolulu or nearby Kailua-Kona.
Still, it does have daily service from two major carriers: Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines . Both operate flights to Honolulu and select cities across the Hawaiian Islands . As part of a larger, nationwide effort to improve airport infrastructure, Hilo Airport is set to begin work on its runway lighting this Monday, January 6, 2025.
These changes will close one of the airport’s two runways from late evening to early morning. The airport has taken measures to ensure the construction will not impact airline operations. Hilo’s runway improvements According to Big Island Now , Hilo’s work to improve its runway lighting will take four months, stretching into April 2025.
The construction is part of Phase 4 of the Taxiway and Runway Lighting Replacement Project. As part of the improvements, all signs on the airfield and light fixtures will be replaced, including all of the runway’s lighting infrastructure. Runway 8-26 is at the center of the construction and will be closed from 21:00 to 05:30 local time.
These closures will continue for at least 128 days, including weekends. Any aircraft arriving or departing within these hours and days must use Runway 3-21, which is significantly shorter than Runway 8-26. Once it secures the necessary approval, the airline could launch flights from several California cities, Las Vegas, Phoenix, or even Provo, Utah.
The United States’ investment in aviation infrastructure Hilo’s efforts to improve its lighting systems are part of a more significant effort across the country to enhance aviation infrastructure. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), over $201 million has been granted to airports nationwide to improve lighting systems. This money came as part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Secretary of the Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg explained that these improvements will help traveling Americans and better position airports for safe aircraft operations well into the future: “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. These runway and taxiway lighting investments are just the latest way President Biden is improving our airports, which will benefit Americans now and for decades to come.” Hilo is only one of several airports to receive federal funding for lighting projects.
Denver International Airport received $30.6 million to revamp its taxiway systems. Rouge Valley International Airport near Medford, Oregon, received $3.
4 million to invest in better visual aids to indicate closed runways. This will help prevent runway incursions in the future. Several regional and non-commercial airports also received funding from the federal government.
King County International Airport (also known as Boeing Field), just outside of Seattle, Washington, received $2.6 million to install elevated runway guard lights. Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport in North Dakota received another $2 million for new end approach path identifier lights.
Improvements in airport lighting As the aviation industry continues to evolve, new technology has become available, making heavy investments in airport infrastructure necessary. Even elements as simple as airport lighting for runways and taxiways have seen notable improvements to better guide traffic and support safe aircraft operations. According to EAU Gallie , one significant improvement is simply the introduction of light-emitting diodes (LED) into runway lighting.
LEDS has a variety of benefits for both airports and flight crews. They are brighter, boast improved efficiency, and have a longer lifespan-which means the costly process of replacing lights occurs less often. Beyond the actual bulbs, innovations like smart lighting systems have given airports more control over their illumination.
These systems allow airport operators to adjust lights in response to different conditions. Brightness can be changed based on weather, ambient light, or even aircraft movements..
