What are all the lights on an airliner?

ar

By ar Mon Feb 6, 2017

Compared to early prop airliners that had only a single red rotating beacon to signal their presence at night, the modern jetliner is lit up like a video game. Strobes, LEDs, and Logo Lights all illuminate various parts of a jet airliner, with every light serving a specific purpose. Traditional navigation lights, or “nav lights,” stem from the boating world with green on the right wingtip, red on the left, and white on the tail. The relative position of these three lights can instantly indicate the position and direction of an aircraft in flight. High-intensity white strobe lights are mounted on an aircraft’s wingtips, and flash in simultaneous or alternating patterns to identify an aircraft from large distances. Fixed landing lights are located in the wing root or on landing gear struts, while retractable landing lights extend from the lower surface of the wing or flap track fairings. Red high-intensity LEDs (light-emitting diodes) replace the old rotating beacons and are mounted above and below the fuselage. Other lights illuminate the wing leading and trailing edges.

Have questions or want to share your thoughts?

Comments

No comments yet, be the first to write one.

Latest news and reviews

View more
Jetstar vs Scoot between Singapore and Australia: Who's the better choice?
Airline News

Jetstar vs Scoot between Singapore and Australia: Who's the better choice?

May 21, 2026

Nicholas Ling
Which airline is best between the UK and Dubai?
Airline News

Which airline is best between the UK and Dubai?

May 20, 2026

Josh Wood
Flying to Nepal? You need to read this
Airline News

Flying to Nepal? You need to read this

May 19, 2026

Sharon Petersen
Why are pre-takeoff and landing checks so important?
Airline News

Why are pre-takeoff and landing checks so important?

May 16, 2026

Josh Wood

Featured articles

View more
Jetstar vs Scoot between Singapore and Australia: Who's the better choice?
Airline News

Jetstar vs Scoot between Singapore and Australia: Who's the better choice?

May 21, 2026

Nicholas Ling
Flying to Nepal? You need to read this
Airline News

Flying to Nepal? You need to read this

May 19, 2026

Sharon Petersen
Which airline is best between the UK and Dubai?
Airline News

Which airline is best between the UK and Dubai?

May 20, 2026

Josh Wood
United Airlines 767 accident adds to pattern of recent incidents
Airline News

United Airlines 767 accident adds to pattern of recent incidents

May 7, 2026

Josh Wood