What is the main purpose of airport surface lighting?

The main purpose of airport surface lighting is to enhance visibility for ground operations. This is crucial for the safe movement of aircraft and ground vehicles during both day and night operations. Properly illuminated taxiways, runways, and other critical areas help pilots and ground personnel to navigate the airport safely, reducing the risk of collisions and accidents.

While other functions such as directing air traffic control operations and signaling runway boundaries are important, they do not encompass the primary goal of surface lighting, which is to ensure that all operations on the airport ground remain visible and manageable, particularly during low light conditions or adverse weather. Providing weather updates is also beyond the scope of surface lighting, as it relates more to communication systems rather than visual guidance.