What are runway end lights?
Red lights across the end of the runway that mark where the usable pavement ends, often the back face of the threshold fixture.
Runway end lights are unidirectional red lights across the end of the runway, seen by a pilot looking along it. Where the threshold is at the runway end, they are commonly the red face of the same bidirectional fixture as the runway threshold lights covered in Entry 02: green toward an aircraft on approach, red toward the runway on rollout or take-off. Where the threshold is displaced, the end lights are a separate row at the runway end.
A pilot on a takeoff roll, or rolling out after landing, sees this red row ahead and knows there is no more usable pavement beyond it. ICAO calls for end lights wherever a runway has edge lights: at least six lights on a line across the runway end, not more than 3 m outside it, spaced uniformly between the edge-light rows or in two symmetrical groups. Where the threshold is at the runway end, the two functions are often built into one combined fixture rather than two separate light rows. They are not the same system as Runway End Identifier Lights (REIL) — a separate pair of flashing white lights used to make a runway easier to pick out on approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What are runway end lights?
Unidirectional red lights across the end of the runway, showing red toward the runway to mark where the usable pavement ends. Where the threshold is at the runway end they are commonly the red face of the combined threshold/end fixture.
Q2How are runway end lights related to threshold lights?
Where the threshold is at the runway end and a combined fixture is used, one fixture serves both: green toward a landing aircraft on approach, red toward the runway on rollout or take-off. With a displaced threshold the end lights are a separate row.
Q3Are runway end lights the same as REIL?
No. Runway End Identifier Lights (REIL) are a separate pair of flashing white lights used to make a runway easier to pick out on approach, distinct from the steady red/green threshold-and-end-light fixture.
Q4Why are threshold and end-light functions often combined into one fixture?
When the threshold is at the runway end, both rows sit at the same physical limit, so a single bidirectional fixture can show green to the approach and red to the runway instead of two separate light rows. This is a common design choice, not a requirement.
Q5Where are runway end lights installed, and how many are there?
On a line across the runway end, square to the runway axis, as near the end as possible and not more than 3 m outside it. ICAO Annex 14 calls for at least six lights, either uniformly spaced between the rows of runway edge lights or in two symmetrical groups about the centreline. On a Category III precision approach runway the spacing should not exceed 6 m.
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