Aerospace – Airports, a division of Alstom Power Ltd, has been awarded certificates of conformance against new revised Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) specifications for its taxiway centre line and inset, ZA280L, ZA292L and ZA216L elevated edge LED, and ZL836 power converter.

The product approvals were gained after the LED light fixtures passed type tests that are designed to simulate the most extreme field conditions on an airfield. The ZA216L, ZA280L and ZA292L were subjected to a wide range of temperature, vibration, mechanical impact and shear tests as well as electrical compatibility tests, while maintaining ingress protection and electrical isolation, and providing the compliant photometry and colour that are essential for the safe operation of an airfield.

Alstom have been members of the FAA Airfield Lighting Equipment Certification Programme (ALECP) for many years and undertake regular manufacturing quality audits as part of the licensing agreement for the FAA programme. The LED fixtures join many of ALSTOM’s current products that are already listed by the FAA programme.

The endorsement by the FAA not only provides product validation that is understood and respected throughout the world amongst the airfield ground equipment light industry. It is also mandatory for US airports to gain government grants for equipment improvements. Therefore the FAA certificate of conformance is essential for Alstom in the US market.

ALSTOM already have high demand for these products and looks forward higher sales in the US, which has so far shown a considerable appetite for LED-type AGL products.