A method for controlling an airport navigation lights system, comprising a power source for producing an AC current; a plurality of lamp units that - are powered by the power source via a cable and - comprise a receiver; at least one aeronautical ground light (14.1), wherein each lamp unit is connected to at least one aeronautical ground light; and a control unit that - is connected to the cable and - is arranged for sending messages to the lamp units and receiving messages from the lamp units via the cable, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps carried out automatically by the control unit: determining a noise level for a plurality of time slots along the period of the AC current, wherein the plurality of time slots occurs periodically within each period or half period of the AC current; determining low-noise time slots during which the noise level is below a noise threshold; sending a low-information message (M low) encoding the timing of at least some of the low-noise time slots relative to the period via the cable, wherein the low-information message (M low) comprises - a code word encoding the information that the message is the low-information message (Miow), - after the code word an active time slot mask encoding the active low-noise time slots, the active time slot mask comprising a sequence of consecutive bits, wherein each bit encodes whether or not a time slot is low-noise and active or not and - a reference point setting signal (m rpss); sending high-information messages encoding control commands only during these low-noise time slots; and in that the method further comprises the following steps carried out automatically by at least a majority of the lamp units: receiving the low-information message (M low) encoding the timing of the low-noise time slots; determining the timing of the time slots by means of a clock of a lamp unit by synchronizing the clock with the phase of the AC current based on the reference point setting signal by determining the sampling point of time for sampling a bit value based on the reference point setting signal; and sending at least one status message in at least one low-noise time slot. - are powered by the power source via a cable and - comprise a receiver; at least one aeronautical ground light (14.1), wherein each lamp unit is connected to at least one aeronautical ground light; and a control unit that - is connected to the cable and - is arranged for sending messages to the lamp units and receiving messages from the lamp units via the cable, determining a noise level for a plurality of time slots along the period of the AC current, wherein the plurality of time slots occurs periodically within each period or half period of the AC current; determining low-noise time slots during which the noise level is below a noise threshold; sending a low-information message (M low) encoding the timing of at least some of the low-noise time slots relative to the period via the cable, wherein the low-information message (M low) comprises - a code word encoding the information that the message is the low-information message (Miow), - after the code word an active time slot mask encoding the active low-noise time slots, the active time slot mask comprising a sequence of consecutive bits, wherein each bit encodes whether or not a time slot is low-noise and active or not and - a reference point setting signal (m rpss); sending high-information messages encoding control commands only during these low-noise time slots; and in that the method further comprises the following steps carried out automatically by at least a majority of the lamp units: receiving the low-information message (M low) encoding the timing of the low-noise time slots; determining the timing of the time slots by means of a clock of a lamp unit by synchronizing the clock with the phase of the AC current based on the reference point setting signal by determining the sampling point of time for sampling a bit value based on the reference point setting signal; and sending at least one status message in at least one low-noise time slot. - a code word encoding the information that the message is the low-information message (Miow), - after the code word an active time slot mask encoding the active low-noise time slots, the active time slot mask comprising a sequence of consecutive bits, wherein each bit encodes whether or not a time slot is low-noise and active or not and - a reference point setting signal (m rpss); sending high-information messages encoding control commands only during these low-noise time slots; and in that the method further comprises the following steps carried out automatically by at least a majority of the lamp units: receiving the low-information message (M low) encoding the timing of the low-noise time slots; determining the timing of the time slots by means of a clock of a lamp unit by synchronizing the clock with the phase of the AC current based on the reference point setting signal by determining the sampling point of time for sampling a bit value based on the reference point setting signal; and sending at least one status message in at least one low-noise time slot. receiving the low-information message (M low) encoding the timing of the low-noise time slots; determining the timing of the time slots by means of a clock of a lamp unit by synchronizing the clock with the phase of the AC current based on the reference point setting signal by determining the sampling point of time for sampling a bit value based on the reference point setting signal; and sending at least one status message in at least one low-noise time slot.