Definition
A NOTAM and chart contraction meaning lighted — used to indicate that an airport feature such as a runway, taxiway, obstruction, or navigation aid is equipped with operating lights.
Plain English
Short for 'lighted.' It tells you that something — a runway, a tower, a marker — has lights on it.
Context Anchor
Seen in NOTAMs, airport information, and other shortened aviation text where space is limited.
Derivation
LGTD is a shortened written form of lighted. The missing letters are left out to make the word faster to read and transmit in compact aviation notices.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing what is and isn't lighted matters for night operations and low-visibility flying. A runway marked LGTD can be identified after dark; an unlighted obstruction near the field cannot.
Intuition Check
LGTD does not mean the area will be brightly lit like a street or parking lot. It means aviation lighting is present or being reported for the specific item named in the notice.
Example Sentence 1
The NOTAM showed the obstruction near the approach end was LGTD, so the tower was visible at night.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots checked the chart to confirm the airport was LGTD before planning a night arrival.