(a) The installing of lighting facilities and related electrical work, as provided in § 151.87, is eligible for inclusion in a project only if the Administrator determines, for the particular airport involved, that they are needed to ensure—

(1) Its safe and efficient use by aircraft under § 151.13; or

(2) Its continued operation and adequate maintenance, and it has a large enough volume (actual or potential) of night operations.

(b) Before the Administrator makes a grant offer to the sponsor of a project that includes installing lighting facilities and related electrical work under paragraph (a) of this section, the sponsor must—

(1) Provide in the project for removing, relocating, or adequately marking and lighting, each obstruction in the approach and turning zones, as provided in § 151.91(a);

(2) Acknowledge its awareness of the cost of operating and maintaining airport lighting; and

(3) Agree to operate the airport lighting installed—

(i) Throughout each night of the year; or

(ii) According to a satisfactory plan of operation, submitted under paragraph (c) of this section.

(c) The sponsor of a project that includes installing airport lighting and related electrical work, under paragraph (a) of this section, may—

(1) Submit to the Administrator a proposed plan of operation of the airport lighting installed for periods less than throughout each night of the year;

(2) Specify, in the proposed plan, the times when the airport lighting installed will be operated; and

(3) Satisfy the Administrator that the proposed plan provides for safety in air commerce, and justifies the investment of Program funds.

(d) Paragraph (b)(3) of this section also applies to each sponsor of a project that includes installing airport lighting and related electrical work if that sponsor has not entered into a grant agreement for the project before September 5, 1968.

(e) If it agrees to comply with paragraph (b)(3) of this section, the sponsor of a project that includes installing airport lighting facilities and related electrical work that has entered into a grant agreement for that project before September 5, 1968, may—

(1) Surrender its air navigation certificate authorizing operation of a “true light” issued before that date; or

(2) Terminate its application for authority to operate a “true light” made before that date.