AGL inspection specialist looks for more opportunities

Bankstown-based Airfield Lighting is looking to build its export reach following accreditation by Australia’s National Association of Testing Authorities late last year.

Airfield Lighting is the only private aerodrome ground lighting inspector in the country, but it also consults on airport and obstruction lighting systems on a global basis.

The company employs a UK-sourced photometric inspection unit, a Mobile Airfield Lighting Monitoring System (MALMS), one of only two in the country, to support international and regional airports in meeting inspection requirements.

Principal Steve Hutton was advised by the RAAF, already a client, that NATA accreditiation would enhance business prospects both locally and overseas.

“Certainly for registered and certified airports, we now have the ability to do saccreditated annual technical inspections of their visual aids, which includes lighting at night and markings during the day,” Hutton says. “We are the only people that can do in-field measurements, using that MALMS that we imported in 2000.”

Steve Hutton’s small team has done work in India, as the AGL manager for the new Cat IIIB runway at New Delhi International Airport. They have also done an inspection of the set up of the photometric system in Kuming, China.

Hutton is also developing equipment to more efficiently test apron lighting and that could lead to extensive work at Heathrow.

“The NATA accreditation has certainly given us a lot more credibility, so we are anticipating more opportunities overseas” Hutton says.

“When we inspect something and find non-compliance then often the airport will ask us to do the rectification work, perhaps working with local subcontractors,” he adds, “so that is another strength of the business. And we act as lighting consultants to airports that are considering upgrades. We can inspect and report on the status of the system.”