Threshold & Runway End Lights
Threshold and runway end lights mark where the landing surface begins and ends, showing green to an approaching aircraft and red to one departing off the far end. Northlane Solutions supplies threshold and end light fixtures, wing-bar arrays, and associated circuit components engineered to ICAO Annex 14 Volume I, for airfield and heliport projects across Saudi Arabia.
Inside the Threshold & Runway End Lights
A threshold or runway end fixture is built to show two colours from opposite sides of the same lens, green toward an aircraft on approach and red toward one departing off the far end, and is usually set out in a wing bar of several units across the runway width. The bi-colour lens, light engine, and support frame each work together so the colour a pilot sees depends entirely on which way they are looking, not on separate lamps.
01
Bi-Colour Lens Assembly
Splits the fixture's output into a green sector facing the approach direction and a red sector facing back along the runway, so the single unit reads correctly for both landing and departing traffic.
02
LED Light Engine
Provides the intensity behind both colour sectors of the lens, matched so neither the green nor red side appears weaker than the other from its respective viewing direction.
03
Wing Bar Support Frame
Aligns several individual fixtures into the wing bar pattern set out to each side of the runway at the threshold, keeping the row level and evenly spaced so the bar reads as one continuous marker.
04
Frangible Mounting Base
Sets each fixture at its required height while breaking away cleanly under impact, limiting damage should a vehicle or aircraft come into contact with the wing bar.
05
Isolating Transformer
Converts the runway's constant current series circuit to the fixture's operating voltage and keeps each unit electrically isolated so a single failure does not break the loop.
FULLY ASSEMBLED
Threshold & Runway End Lights
| Body material | Cast aluminium alloy housing with corrosion-resistant outdoor finish |
| Colour output | Green facing the approach direction, red facing the runway per ICAO Annex 14 Volume I threshold and end marking requirements |
| Array configuration | Set out as a wing bar of multiple fixtures spanning the runway width at the threshold or end |
| Power supply | Constant current series circuit via isolating transformer, matched to the runway lighting circuit |
| Mounting | Frangible low-profile ground mount set across the threshold or end wing bar |
| Control compatibility | Brightness step selection via ALCMS or manual regulator step control |
| Operating environment | Rated for sustained high-temperature, dust, and sand exposure |
What threshold and end lights show a pilot
Threshold lights sit across the beginning of the usable landing surface and show a fixed green light to an aircraft on approach, confirming exactly where the runway starts. Runway end lights sit at the far end and show red toward an aircraft still on the runway, marking the limit of the surface available for landing or takeoff roll. The two functions are often built into the same fixture line, unidirectional units that show green from one side and red from the other, or as separate wing-bar arrays extending laterally from the runway edge to widen the visual cue at the threshold.
Standards and configuration
ICAO Annex 14 Volume I sets the colour, intensity, and beam configuration for threshold and end lighting, and GACAR Part 139 applies the same reference to licensed Saudi aerodromes. A displaced threshold, common where an obstacle or terrain constraint shortens the usable landing distance, needs its own threshold light row moved back from the physical runway end, with the unusable section marked separately rather than left ambiguous. Wing bars extend the threshold indication outward on runways where the standard edge light spacing alone would not give an approaching pilot enough lateral reference at touchdown.
Built for Saudi runway conditions
Threshold and end fixtures sit at the highest-traffic point of the runway, taking sustained tyre contact and jet blast from every landing and departure. Northlane Solutions sources fixtures rated to IP66/IP68 ingress protection and checked against actual Saudi pavement surface temperatures, which run well above the ambient figure most base fixture datasheets are tested against, so lens and seal performance hold up over repeated exposure rather than degrading within the first operating seasons.
Turnkey delivery
Northlane Solutions supplies threshold and end lighting as part of a complete airfield ground lighting package: fixture selection, wing-bar layout where the design calls for one, circuit and constant current regulator sizing shared with the runway edge lighting string, installation, and commissioning against the approved lighting plan. Fixtures come from established international aviation lighting manufacturers, priced in USD and SAR through a single point of contact.
What to send for a quote
Send the runway lighting plan showing threshold location (including any displacement), wing-bar extent if specified, and the series circuit current the design uses. Northlane Solutions returns a fixture and layout recommendation with lead time and pricing, coordinated with the rest of the runway lighting scope so installation happens in one mobilisation rather than separate visits.
Specifications
- ✓Colour, intensity, and beam configuration per ICAO Annex 14 Volume I; GACAR Part 139 applies the same reference to licensed Saudi aerodromes
- ✓Unidirectional fixtures (green toward approach, red toward runway) or separate threshold/end fixture lines
- ✓Wing-bar array layout for extended lateral threshold indication where the design specifies
- ✓Displaced-threshold configuration support for runways with a shortened usable landing distance
- ✓Sealed housings specified to the ingress protection rating high-traffic touchdown and departure zone exposure requires
- ✓Constant current regulator sizing coordinated with the runway edge lighting circuit
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between threshold lights and runway end lights?+
Threshold lights mark where the usable landing surface begins and show green to an approaching aircraft. Runway end lights mark the far limit of that surface and show red toward an aircraft still on the runway. Many fixture lines combine both functions into one unidirectional unit.
What is a displaced threshold and how does the lighting change?+
A displaced threshold is a landing point moved back from the physical start of the runway, usually because of an obstacle or terrain constraint. The threshold light row moves to the displaced point, and the unusable section before it is marked separately so an approaching pilot does not mistake it for usable landing surface.
Who supplies threshold and runway end lighting in Saudi Arabia?+
Northlane Solutions sources and supplies threshold and runway end light fixtures and wing-bar arrays built to ICAO Annex 14, as turnkey supply and installation for airfield and heliport projects across the Kingdom.
What is the role of the Bi-Colour Lens Assembly in Threshold & Runway End Lights?+
Splits the fixture's output into a green sector facing the approach direction and a red sector facing back along the runway, so the single unit reads correctly for both landing and departing traffic.
What is the role of the LED Light Engine in Threshold & Runway End Lights?+
Provides the intensity behind both colour sectors of the lens, matched so neither the green nor red side appears weaker than the other from its respective viewing direction.
What is the role of the Wing Bar Support Frame in Threshold & Runway End Lights?+
Aligns several individual fixtures into the wing bar pattern set out to each side of the runway at the threshold, keeping the row level and evenly spaced so the bar reads as one continuous marker.
What is the role of the Frangible Mounting Base in Threshold & Runway End Lights?+
Sets each fixture at its required height while breaking away cleanly under impact, limiting damage should a vehicle or aircraft come into contact with the wing bar.
What is the role of the Isolating Transformer in Threshold & Runway End Lights?+
Converts the runway's constant current series circuit to the fixture's operating voltage and keeps each unit electrically isolated so a single failure does not break the loop.