Aircraft Lighting International (ALI; Booth Z102), maker of LED drop-in replacements for legacy fluorescent and incandescent cabin lighting systems, arrives at EBACE 2022 with two newly introduced aircraft lighting product lines: LED exterior lighting and LED cockpit lighting replacements for legacy lighting systems. ALI unveiled the new systems earlier this month at the NBAA Maintenance Conference in San Antonio, Texas.
ALI’s products are designed for the aftermarket “to service the thousands of aging aircraft that weren't produced with LED lighting systems,” said Pelle Nilsson, v-p of business development.
The exterior and cockpit LED lights, like ALI’s cabin LED lighting, are true “plug and play” replacements, requiring no modification for virtually any business jet that has original A/E or B/E lighting and greatly reduces installation downtime, according to ALI. “A complete interior lighting replacement installation can take weeks,” Nilsson said, while in contrast, “ALI products can be installed in hours.”
The replacement lights are operated through the original control interfaces, simplifying installation. LED systems also reduce power consumption by as much as 80 percent and generate less heat, leaving more electrical power for other onboard uses.
Lighting also has an outsize influence on the passenger experience, Nilsson noted. “The first thing a charter customer, a passenger, or the owner of the aircraft sees is the lighting when they walk into the plane,” he said. “When you upgrade an older aircraft with LED lighting, it looks brand new because it brightens everything up.”
This week at EBACE, ALI is displaying all three of its product lines—exterior lighting products, which include taxi, landing, and navigation and wingtip lights; cockpit LED light upgrades including replacements for miniature lamps that illuminate scores of switches; and cabin LED options, including full-spectrum lighting and mood lighting systems, along with traditional reading lamp replacements.
ALI also offers lamps with parts manufacturer approval for more than 70 business aircraft models from all major OEMs, including for BBJs and ACJs, and makes custom curved bulbs for use in galleys, lavatories, and VIP cabins. For customers content with legacy systems, ALI carries in stock a full array of 12-mm replacement fluorescent lamps.
Though LED systems cost more than fluorescent, the price differential is diminishing. “The price of fluorescents has really increased, and LEDs have dropped—they’re moving closer in cost,” Nilsson said.
“It’s a lot easier for aircraft owners or managers to make the move into LEDs because it’s so much more cost-effective,” he added. “It’s kind of a perfect storm that’s been created.”