Emergency lighting system for an aircraft, comprising: an emergency light control unit, having an external power input and at least one external control input (202a, 202b) for receiving external control commands from at least one of a cockpit crew, a cabin crew, a board computer and an autopilot, and a plurality of autonomous emergency light units, each of the plurality of autonomous emergency light units comprising at least one LED and a rechargeable capacitor, wherein the emergency light control unit is configured to process the external control commands and to communicate emergency light control commands to the plurality of autonomous emergency light units as a response to the external control commands, wherein the emergency lighting system further comprises a power line between the emergency light control unit and the plurality of autonomous emergency light units, with the emergency light control unit being configured to provide the plurality of autonomous emergency light units with power via the power line for charging their respective rechargeable capacitor and illuminating their respective at least one LED, wherein the emergency light control unit is configured to form the coupling point to a power supply outside of the emergency lighting system; wherein the emergency light control unit is configured to communicate the emergency light control commands to the plurality of autonomous emergency light units as a modulation of the power provided on the power line; wherein the emergency light control commands comprise a charge and illumination command and an armed and charge command; wherein the plurality of autonomous emergency light units are configured, as a response to the charge and illumination command, to charge their respective rechargeable capacitor and to illuminate their respective at least one LED; and wherein the plurality of autonomous emergency light units are configured, as a response to the armed and charge command to charge their respective rechargeable capacitor and to set themselves in an alert condition. an emergency light control unit, having an external power input and at least one external control input (202a, 202b) for receiving external control commands from at least one of a cockpit crew, a cabin crew, a board computer and an autopilot, and a plurality of autonomous emergency light units, each of the plurality of autonomous emergency light units comprising at least one LED and a rechargeable capacitor, wherein the emergency light control unit is configured to process the external control commands and to communicate emergency light control commands to the plurality of autonomous emergency light units as a response to the external control commands, wherein the emergency lighting system further comprises a power line between the emergency light control unit and the plurality of autonomous emergency light units, with the emergency light control unit being configured to provide the plurality of autonomous emergency light units with power via the power line for charging their respective rechargeable capacitor and illuminating their respective at least one LED, wherein the emergency light control unit is configured to form the coupling point to a power supply outside of the emergency lighting system; wherein the emergency light control unit is configured to communicate the emergency light control commands to the plurality of autonomous emergency light units as a modulation of the power provided on the power line; wherein the emergency light control commands comprise a charge and illumination command and an armed and charge command; wherein the plurality of autonomous emergency light units are configured, as a response to the charge and illumination command, to charge their respective rechargeable capacitor and to illuminate their respective at least one LED; and wherein the plurality of autonomous emergency light units are configured, as a response to the armed and charge command to charge their respective rechargeable capacitor and to set themselves in an alert condition.