Dallas Love Field

The Challenge

The busiest medium-hub airport in the U.S., Dallas Love Field had relied on both omnidirectional metal halide lights and generator tower lights to illuminate its apron for several years. These floodlights were costly to operate, required frequent maintenance, and affected pilots with glare while taxiing onto the gates. To resolve these issues, airport leadership turned to engineering firm Garver USA for assessment and design recommendation for apron floodlighting that would improve energy efficiency and light level distribution while minimising glare and reducing the need for maintenance. Garver’s lighting assessment also revealed shadowing between parked aircraft and the terminal, and light levels were found to be below industry standards at several gates.

The Solution

Garver learned of Musco’s successful track record of airport projects through mutual partner ADB Safegate. Convinced that Musco’s superior quality and complete system approach would best serve Dallas Love Field, Garver chose to retrofit a TLC for LED™ system onto the airport’s existing structures. The new technology meets industry-standard light levels with fewer luminaires than the previous system and can be dimmed when gates are not in use, reducing energy consumption by 64 per cent. Custom optics and patented visoring improve visibility by producing clean, consistent light on the apron while preventing glare from affecting pilots. Instant smartphone controls are enabled by the Control-Link™ service, and Musco’s parts and labour warranty eliminates maintenance costs for 10 years.