Federal Aviation Administration

Runway Status Lights (RWSL) Program

RWSL Upcoming Exhibits


FAA Acting Administrator Huerta with Runway Safety Office (RSO) and RWSL representatives at Women in Aviation.

Runway Status Lights (RWSL) is exhibiting at the following industry events:

Airport Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA):
Aviation Summit; Palm Springs, CA; Oct 11-13, 2012

National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA):
Annual Meeting; Orlando, FL; Oct 30-Nov 1, 2012

Pilot Reference Guide

RWSL is a fully automated system that provides runway status information to pilots and surface vehicle operators to indicate when it is unsafe to enter, cross, or takeoff from a runway. The RWSL system processes information from surveillance systems and activates Runway Entrance Lights (REL) and Takeoff Hold Lights (THL) in accordance with the motion and velocity of the detected traffic. REL and THL are in-pavement light fixtures that are directly visible to pilots and surface vehicle operators. RWSL is an independent safety enhancement that does not substitute for an ATC clearance. Clearance to enter, cross, or takeoff from a runway must still be issued by ATC. Although ATC has limited control over the system, personnel do not directly use, and may not be able to view, light fixture output in their operations.


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Vehicle Operators Training

Runway Entrance Lights (REL): The REL system is composed of flush mounted, in-pavement, unidirectional fixtures that are parallel to and focused along the taxiway centerline and directed toward the pilot at the hold line. A specific array of REL lights include the first light at the hold line followed by a series of evenly spaced lights to the runway edge; and one additional light at the runway centerline in line with the last two lights before the runway edge (See FIG 2-1-9). When activated, these red lights indicate that there is high speed traffic on the runway or there is an aircraft on final approach within the activation area.


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Airport Diagrams for RWSL


Click to view Airport Diagrams:

* = Prototype Runway Status Lights System

RWSL Animation

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RWSL Video

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Documents

RWSL Brochure

Associated Links

Aeronautical Information Manual
Office of Runway Safety
RWSL Prototype System

Page Last Modified: 09/13/12 13:32 EDT

This page can be viewed online at: http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/technology/rwsl/