RAF Seletar
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Seletar Airport ( ; ) is a civilian
international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports, and feature longer runways and have faciliti ...
serving the north-east region of
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
. It is located approximately northwest from
Changi Airport Singapore Changi Airport ( ; ) is the primary international airport that serves the country of Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. More than 100 airlines operate from the airport, with flights to destinations in A ...
, the country's main airport, and about north from the main commercial city-centre. The airfield was originally opened in 1928 as RAF Seletar, a military airbase of the British
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF). The base was handed back over to Singapore in 1971. The
Government of Singapore The government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of Singapore, Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to consist of the President of Singapore, President and the Executive. Executive authority of Singapore is vested in the Presi ...
intended for Seletar Airport and the surrounding areas to function as the operating aerodrome for their plan to expand Singapore's status as an industrial aviation hub, today known as the
Seletar Aerospace Park Seletar Aerospace Park is an industrial park in Singapore catering to the aerospace industries. Located in Seletar, the plan to develop 140 hectares of land adjacent to Seletar Airport will further strengthen Singapore's position as an aviatio ...
. Today, Seletar Airport mostly serves
turbo-prop A turboprop is a gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. F ...
and smaller-sized private and business jet airlines and aircraft. It helps to serve as a secondary destination to Singapore for turbo-prop aircraft to decrease load from Changi Airport, which has heavy air traffic consisting of jet aircraft. The airport is currently not capable of handling larger airliners such as the
Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the t ...
or the
Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. The first member of the fami ...
, as it will need an upgraded runway and avionics system in order to accommodate aircraft of those size. The runway designation is 03/21, where the precise headings on ground of the actual runway are 033° / 213°.


History


RAF Seletar

RAF Seletar was a
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
station in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
between 1928 and 1971. Plans for establishing an airfield, flying boat and naval base in Singapore were first agreed by the RAF in 1921. In 1923, two sites in the northern region of the island were approved. The first planes to arrive at the base were four
Supermarine Southampton The Supermarine Southampton was a flying boat of the interwar period designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Supermarine. It was one of the most successful flying boats of the era. The Southampton was derived from the expe ...
seaplanes on 28 February 1928. RAF Seletar was also used for civilian flights from 1930 to 1937, when
Kallang Airport Kallang Airport (also known as the Kallang Aerodrome, Kallang Airfield and RAF Kallang) was the first purpose-built civil international airport in Singapore. It was officially opened on 12 June 1937 and was closed in 1955, when its operation ...
was opened.
Amy Johnson Amy Johnson (born 1 July 1903 – disappeared 5 January 1941) was a pioneering English pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, she set many long-distance records dur ...
landed at Seletar in May 1930 on her UK – Australia flight in her Gipsy Moth named 'Jason'.
Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...
also landed there in June 1937 on her world flight attempt in an
Lockheed 10 Electra The Lockheed Model 10 Electra is an American twin-engined, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, which was produced primarily in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The type gained ...
.


World War II

With the threat of war in the area, the RAF started building up their forces in the Far East in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Seletar airfield was the target of
carpet bombing Carpet bombing, also known as saturation bombing, is a large area bombardment done in a progressive manner to inflict damage in every part of a selected area of land. The phrase evokes the image of explosions completely covering an area, in t ...
when
Japanese navy The , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...
bombers conducted the
first air raid on Singapore The bombing of Singapore was an attack on 8 December 1941 by seventeen G3M ''Nell'' bombers of Mihoro Air Group (''Mihoro Kaigun Kōkūtai''), Imperial Japanese Navy, flying from Thu Dau Mot in southern Indochina. The attack began at around 0 ...
, sometime after their ground forces invaded Kota Bahru. It was abandoned when the Japanese took
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, abbreviated as JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and the second-largest district economy. Covering an area of ...
, which brought their artillery in range of the airfield. When the Japanese launched their invasion of
Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
and
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, Seletar housed four RAF units. 205 Sqn operated
Consolidated Catalina The Consolidated Model 28, more commonly known as the PBY Catalina (U.S. Navy designation), is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft designed by Consolidated Aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. In U.S. Army service, it was designated as the OA ...
flying boats, and No. 36 and No. 100 Squadron RAF operated obsolete
Vickers Vildebeest The Vickers Vildebeest and the similar Vickers Vincent are single-engined British biplanes designed and built by Vickers and used as light bombers, torpedo bombers and in army cooperation roles. First flown in 1928, they remained in service at ...
torpedo bombers (as well as five
Fairey Albacore The Fairey Albacore is a single-engine biplane torpedo bomber designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Fairey Aviation. It was primarily operated by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) during the Second World War. The Albacor ...
s acquired by 36 Sqn to supplement its Vildebeests). These flying squadrons were serviced by 151 Maintenance Unit RAF. 21 Squadron,
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
was also based at Seletar in 1941–42, and was in the process of converting from lightly-armed
CAC Wirraway The CAC Wirraway is a Trainer aircraft, training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. It was an Australian development of the North American NA-16 ...
trainers to
Brewster F2A Buffalo The Brewster F2A Buffalo is an American fighter aircraft which saw service early in World War II. Designed and built by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation, it was one of the first U.S. monoplanes with an arrestor hook and other modificatio ...
fighters, when hostilities began. These units stayed until January–February 1942, soon before the surrender to the invading Japanese. During the Japanese occupation, Seletar as was in the case of
Sembawang Sembawang ( ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the North Region, Singapore, North Region of Singapore. Sembawang planning area is bordered by Simpang to the east, Mandai to t ...
came under the
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The (IJNAS) was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War. The Japanese military acquired its first aircraft in ...
while
Tengah ''Tengah'' is an Indonesian and Malay word meaning "Central". It can be found in topography, e.g. * Jawa Tengah * Kalimantan Tengah * Papua Tengah * Sulawesi Tengah * Tengah Islands or Central Archipelago. * Tengah, Singapore * Tengah Air Base ...
fell under the jurisdiction of the
Imperial Japanese Army Air Force The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ) was the Military aviation, aviation force of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). Its primary mission was to provide tactical close air support for ground ...
. From 1942 through 1945, a number of IJN squadrons were based or transited through Seletar mainly, for training. Among the units known to be based at Seletar during this time were ''936th
Kōkūtai A ''kōkūtai'' () was a military aviation unit in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS), similar to the Group (military aviation unit), air groups in other air arms and services of the time. Some comparable units included ''wing'' in th ...
'' ( B5N Kate, D3A Val and E13A1 Jake), ''381st Kōkūtai'' (
A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
and J2M Raiden). The ''601st Kōkūtai'' was also stationed there for training early before its destruction on board Japanese aircraft carriers during the
Battle of the Philippine Sea The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a major naval battle of World War II on 19–20 June 1944 that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious r ...
(Marianas Turkey Shoot) in June. Seletar's present runway was built during the Japanese Occupation.


Post-World War II

After World War II, the base went back to the RAF and, in the late 1940s and 1950s, the base was heavily involved in the
Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War, was a guerrilla warfare, guerrilla war fought in Federation of Malaya, Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Arm ...
, with Beaufighters,
Spitfires The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...
and
Mosquitos Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by '' mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, ...
based there while operating against Malayan Communist insurgents. Among the many squadrons based there during this time were Nos 60, 81 and
205 Year 205 ( CCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Geta (or, less frequently, year 958 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 205 for this year h ...
Sqns of the RAF.Jefford 2001, pp. 48–49. The base was also the home of 390 MU – the Maintenance Base for the whole of the
RAF Far East Air Force The former Royal Air Force Far East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Far East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the east of Asia (Far East). It was originally formed as Air Command, South Ea ...
- FEAF. During the 1960s, RAF Seletar was home base to No's
103 103 may refer to: *103 (number), the number *AD 103, a year in the 2nd century AD *103 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 103 (Tyne Electrical Engineers) Field Squadron, a territorial regiment * 103 (Newcastle) Field Squadron, Royal Engineers * 103 ...
and 110 Squadrons, both of which were equipped with
Westland Whirlwind Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, Nairobi, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland ne ...
Mk 10 helicopters and to 34 Squadron, which was equipped with
Blackburn Beverley The Blackburn B-101 Beverley is a heavy transport aircraft produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Blackburn Aircraft. It was notably the only land-based transport aeroplane built by Blackburn, a company that otherwise specialised in pr ...
transports. All three Squadrons (among several others) were involved with support of operations in
North Borneo North Borneo (usually known as British North Borneo, also known as the State of North Borneo) was a British Protectorate, British protectorate in the northern part of the island of Borneo, (present-day Sabah). The territory of North Borneo wa ...
during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. From June 1962, 66 Squadron (led by Sqn Leader Gray) with their Bristol 192 Belvedere helicopters were also based at Seletar, and were sent on frequent tours and detachments to
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
, Brunei,
Labuan Labuan (), officially the Federal Territory of Labuan (), is an island federal territory of Malaysia. It includes and six smaller islands off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Labuan's capital is Victoria, which is best kno ...
and Butterworth as part of the Borneo hearts and minds campaign (the squadron was later disbanded in March 1969). The helicopter squadrons provided a search and rescue service for the Singapore area. The station was also, at that time, home to 209 Squadron, equipped with
Single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
and
Twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two ...
Pioneer aircraft. 65 Squadron based at Seletar operated
Bloodhound The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar, rabbits, and since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is ...
Mk II surface-to-air missiles as anti-aircraft defence from 1 January 1964 until the squadron was disbanded on 30 March 1970 with the equipment and role handed over to 170 Squadron,
Republic of Singapore Air Force The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is the aerial service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for controlling and defending the airspace of the country, and providing air support to the Army and Navy. It was establis ...
.
Auster Auster may refer to: Places * Auster Glacier, located in East Antarctica * Auster Islands, East Antarctica * Auster Pass, located in East Antarctica * Auster Point, located in West Antarctica Other uses * Auster Aircraft, a former British air ...
aircraft were flown during the Emergency and Confrontation periods in troop/enemy spotting patrols. In December 1966, three
Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andov ...
CC Mk1 arrived to replace the ageing
Vickers Valetta The Vickers Valetta is a twin-engine military transport aircraft developed and produced by the British manufacturing company Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd. Developed from the Vickers VC.1 Viking compact civil airliner, it was an all-metal mid-wing ...
C1 aircraft of 52 Sqn. 52 Squadron was later reformed in March 1967 after the arrival of a further three aircraft. By now, Confrontation had finished and with no purpose the squadron moved to Changi in 1968 before being disbanded in January 1970. The RAF station closed at the end of March 1971 (see
East of Suez ''East of Suez'' is a term used in United Kingdom, British military and political discussions in reference to interests east of the Suez Canal, and may or may not include the Middle East.
) and Seletar was handed over to Singapore's Department of Civil Aviation. Several aircraft types flew their last RAF operational sorties from Seletar including the
Short Singapore The Short Singapore was a British multi-engined biplane flying boat built after the First World War. The design was developed into two four-engined versions: the prototype Singapore II and production Singapore III. The latter became the Royal ...
flying boat (Mk.III ''K6912'' of No. 205 Squadron RAF 14 October 1941, aircraft transferred to No. 5 Squadron RNZAF),
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
(PR.XIX ''PS888'' of 81 Sqn 1954),
De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the World War II, Second World War. Unusual in that its airframe was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or " ...
(PR.34 ''RG314'' of 81 Sqn 1955),
Short Sunderland The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat Maritime patrol aircraft, patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of ...
flying boat (GR.5 ''ML797'' "P" of 205 Sqn, 15 May 1959) and
Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufor ...
(TT.X ''RD761'' Station Flight 1960). The Short Sunderland flying boats started in RAF service from ''Seletar'' on 22 June 1938 with 230 Sqn, a sister squadron of 205 Sqn.


Seletar Airbase

The formative years of the SADC (later the RSAF) was established at Seletar Airbase in September 1968, with the setting up of the Flying Training School (FTS) utilising three
Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
, Vietnam to
Phu Quoc island Phu may refer to: Places *PHU (Polish-Hungarian Union), personal union between Poland and Hungary in 14th century. People Given name *Phu Dorjee (died 1987), first Indian to climb Mount Everest without oxygen *Phu Dorjee Sherpa (died 1969), firs ...
west of Saigon, and forced the aircraft, a
Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
, to land at Seletar Airport. The hijackers killed two Vietnamese crew members and seriously wounded a third. The hijackers were seeking political asylum in Singapore and eventually surrendered themselves to Singapore authorities.


Changi Airport Group management

Changi Airport Group Singapore Changi Airport ( ; ) is the primary international airport that serves the country of Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. More than 100 airlines operate from the airport, with flights to destinations in A ...
took over the management of the airport from the
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is Singapore's civil aviation authority and a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore. Its head office is located on the fourth storey of Singapore Cha ...
on 1 July 2009. As part of the Seletar Aerospace Park programme, the
runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
was extended to 1,840 metres in 2011 to enable larger and heavier aircraft to use the airport. The airport's
avionics Avionics (a portmanteau of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the ...
systems were also upgraded. The airport underwent refurbishment in 2015 as part of plans to relieve pressure on Changi Airport by increasing Seletar Airport's capacity and move smaller and slower aircraft from Changi to Seletar airport. A new passenger terminal building opened on 19 November 2018, replacing the previous passenger terminal. The terminal houses four check-in counters, six immigration lanes, two security screening stations and a gate holdroom that can accommodate 200 passengers.


Instrument Landing System (ILS) usage

In 2018, the use of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Seletar Airport by Singapore was disputed by Malaysia, saying that the flight path used by the system may encroach into its airspace. In 2019, an agreement was reached between the two countries whereby Malaysia will immediately suspend its permanent restricted area in the airspace over
Pasir Gudang Pasir Gudang is a city located in eastern Johor Bahru District, Johor, which is the second largest district in Malaysia by population. The main industries are transportation and logistics, shipbuilding, petrochemicals and other heavy industries ...
, while Singapore will similarly suspend its implementation of Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures for Seletar Airport.


Current operations

Seletar Airport now operates as a
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
airport, mainly for chartered flights, private aircraft operations and training purposes. The airport is currently open for arrivals and departures from 07:00 LCL until 22:00 LCL. It has a single runway with 27 aircraft stands, 100 square metres of warehouse space and can handle 840 tons of freight per day. In 1998, the airport recorded receiving a total of 7,945 scheduled flights, handled 23,919 passengers and 6,025 tons of cargo. The airport fire service, AES Seletar, is provided by Changi Airport Group. AES Seletar has 1 station housing 6 apparatus (water tender, foam tender and others) and provides Level 7 protection. The Republic of Singapore Flying Club and Seletar Flying Club are situated at Seletar Airport. The renowned
Singapore Youth Flying Club The Singapore Youth Flying Club (SYFC) is a flight school based in Seletar Airport, primarily funded by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). Established in 1971, the club aims to introduce and promote aviation to students, by providing ...
has its headquarters built on western side of the airport's
runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
. Completed in June 2003, the clubhouse also has its own parking bays for its fleet of
Diamond DA40 The Diamond DA40 Diamond Star is an Austrian four-seat, single-engine, light aircraft constructed from composite materials. Built in both Austria and Canada, it was developed as a four-seat version of the earlier Diamond DA20, DA20 by Diamo ...
. In addition, the rotary training unit of Republic of Singapore Air Force – 124 Squadron, has a training detachment at the civilian airport although it is normally headquartered at
Sembawang Air Base The Sembawang Air Base is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) located at Sembawang, in the northern part of Singapore. The base motto is ''Swift and Resolute''. Before Singapore's independence from the United Kingdom ...
. Previously,
Berjaya Air Berjaya Air is an airline with its head office in the Berjaya Hangar of the SkyPark Terminal Building on the premises of Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor, Malaysia. As of 2018, the airline operates charter flights only. His ...
operated scheduled flights to
Tioman Tioman Island () is , off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, more specifically off the east coast of Rompin District, Pahang, Malaysia. It is long and wide and has seven villages, the largest and most populous being Kampung Tekek on the ...
and
Redang Redang Island (, Terengganu Malay: ''Pula Redang'') is an island in Kuala Nerus District, Terengganu, Malaysia. It is one of the largest islands off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It is f ...
. The Berjaya Air service ended on 31 October 2010 and relocated to
Changi Airport Singapore Changi Airport ( ; ) is the primary international airport that serves the country of Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. More than 100 airlines operate from the airport, with flights to destinations in A ...
, though was discontinued after four years. Berjaya Air has since returned to Seletar from Redang on a charter basis. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the number of daily commercial flight operations at the airport severely declined. Airport operations were also subjected to new processes and rules laid down by the Singapore government Ministry of Health and according to the Infectious Diseases Act. On 13 June 2022,
Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
marked the resumption of flights to the airport since the suspension of commercial flights due to the pandemic.


Airlines and destinations


Passenger


Photo gallery

File:Vildebeest Mark ll.jpg, Vickers Vildebeest Mk IIs, K2918 and K2921, of 'A' Flight, No. 100 (TB) Squadron, at RAF Seletar File:Vildebeest Mk III.png, A
Vickers Vildebeest The Vickers Vildebeest and the similar Vickers Vincent are single-engined British biplanes designed and built by Vickers and used as light bombers, torpedo bombers and in army cooperation roles. First flown in 1928, they remained in service at ...
Mk III of
No. 36 Squadron RAF No. 36 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (later the Royal Air Force) was formed in 1916 at Cramlington Aerodrome, just north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in order to defend a section of the North East coast from German Zeppelin attacks at night. D ...
in flight over Singapore City File:Short Singapore flying boat of 205 Sqn RAF with Vickers Vildebeests of 100 Sqn RAF.jpg,
Short Singapore The Short Singapore was a British multi-engined biplane flying boat built after the First World War. The design was developed into two four-engined versions: the prototype Singapore II and production Singapore III. The latter became the Royal ...
Mk III flying boat of 205 Sqn, in flight below three 'vic' formations of Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bombers of 100 Sqn File:Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Short S.19 Singapore CH2556.jpg, A Short Singapore Mk III flying boat, similar to those operated by 205 Sqn File:PBYs 205 Sqn RAF in hangar Singapore 1941.jpg, Catalina I of 205 Sqn undergoing servicing in their hangar at RAF Seletar. One of the squadron's Short Singapore Mk III biplane flying boats can be seen in the right background. File:J2M in Malaya.jpg, December 1945, captured
Mitsubishi J2M The Mitsubishi J2M ''Raiden'' (雷電, "Lightning Bolt") is a single-engined, land-based fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. Its Allied reporting name was Jack. Design and development The J2M was d ...
Raiden fighters belonging to the 381st
Kōkūtai A ''kōkūtai'' () was a military aviation unit in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS), similar to the Group (military aviation unit), air groups in other air arms and services of the time. Some comparable units included ''wing'' in th ...
of
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The (IJNAS) was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War. The Japanese military acquired its first aircraft in ...
being evaluated at Seletar airfield File:J2M over Malaya.jpg, The same Mitsubishi J2M Raiden fighters being test flown by Japanese naval aviators under close supervision of RAF officers from Seletar File:RAF Seletar ramp 205 Sqn Sunderland.jpg, A 205 Sqn
Short Sunderland The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat Maritime patrol aircraft, patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of ...
Mark V ''ML797'' "P" at the ramp of RAF Seletar. This particular airframe became the last of its type to retire from active RAF service on 30 June 1959. File:Aerial view of RAF Seletar in late 1945.jpg, An aerial view of Seletar airfield, Singapore, with RAF
Mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...
and Dakota I aircraft parked up File:Spitfire mark19 ps853 takeoff arp.jpg, A Spitfire PR Mk 19, similar to those operated by
No. 81 Squadron RAF No 81 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It flew fighter aircraft during the Second World War, reconnaissance aircraft in the Far East after the war, and was disbanded in 1970. History First World War No. 81 Squadron Royal Flyin ...
from RAF Seletar File:Viewing gallery.jpg, The viewing gallery of
Singapore Youth Flying Club The Singapore Youth Flying Club (SYFC) is a flight school based in Seletar Airport, primarily funded by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). Established in 1971, the club aims to introduce and promote aviation to students, by providing ...
overlooking the runway of Seletar. Note the club's
Piper Warrior The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of two-seat or four-seat light aircraft built by Piper Aircraft and designed for flight training, air taxi and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 62–64. Werner & Werner Corp, ...
taxiing Taxiing (rarely spelled taxying) is the movement of an aircraft on the ground, under its own power, in contrast to towing or pushback (aviation), pushback where the aircraft is moved by a tug. The aircraft usually moves on wheels, but the term ...
on the runway. File:9VBOQ Night.jpg, Seletar Flying Club's Cessna 172 9V-BOQ during preflight preparation for night operations


Ground transportation


Bus

Two
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
services (103 and 117) are available from the old airport terminal. Since 14 October 2018, Service 102 also serves the new airport terminal of Seletar Airport, with a bus stop within the Passenger Terminal Building. Service 102 allows access to the North East Line via
Sengkang Sengkang (, , ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the North-East Region, Singapore, North-East Region of Singapore. The town is the second most populous in the region, being ...
and
Hougang Hougang () is a planning area and mature residential town located in the North-East Region of Singapore. It is the largest housing estate in Singapore based on land area, and is home to 247,528 residents as of 2018. Hougang planning area is bo ...
station. Passengers heading to Changi Airport can alight at the Jalan Kayu roundabout and transfer to bus 858. Connections to Tampines, Bedok, Pasir Ris & Serangoon via services 168, 39 and 103 are also possible here.


Rail

While there are currently no
Mass Rapid Transit Mass Rapid Transit in general refers to a fully grade separated heavy-rail metro system. The term may also specifically refer to: * Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System, a rapid transit system in Chennai, India * Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit, a rapi ...
(MRT) services in the vicinity, passengers may transfer to service 103 at Aft Baker St bus stop to head to
Yishun MRT station Yishun MRT station ( ) is an above-ground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North South line (NSL) in Yishun, Singapore. The station is located at the junction of Yishun Avenue 2 and Yishun Avenue 5, and is currently one of the two MRT ...
on the North–South Line. Geographically, the closest MRT station is
Sengkang MRT/LRT station Sengkang MRT/LRT station is a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) interchange station in Sengkang, Singapore. It is an interchange between the North East line (NEL) and Sengkang LRT (SKLRT). Along with Buangkok station, i ...
on the North East Line via Thanggam LRT station on the
Sengkang LRT line The Sengkang LRT line (SKLRT) is a elevated automated guideway transit line in Sengkang, Singapore. The driverless system consists of 14 stations on two loops, with Sengkang station serving as the interchange for both loops and linking the ...
's West Loop.


Taxi

Taxis are available at the taxi stands located outside the departure hall. There is an additional airport surcharge for all trips originating from the airport.


Private transportation

All pick-ups by private transportation occur at the arrival pick-up point.


See also

*
Singapore strategy The Singapore strategy was a naval defence policy of the United Kingdom that evolved in a series of Military operation plan, war plans from 1919 to 1941. It aimed to deter aggression by Japan by providing a base for a fleet of the Royal Navy in ...
*
British Far East Command The Far East Command was a British military command which had 2 distinct periods. These were firstly, 18 November 1940 – 7 January 1942 succeeded by the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command ( ABDACOM), and secondly, 1963–1971 succeeded ...
*
Far East Air Force (Royal Air Force) The former Royal Air Force Far East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Far East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the east of Asia (Far East). It was originally formed as Air Command, South Ea ...
*
Far East Strategic Reserve The British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve (commonly referred to as the ''Far East Strategic Reserve'' or the ''FESR'') was a joint military force of the British, Australian, and New Zealand armed forces. Created in the 1950s and based i ...
* Former overseas RAF bases *
Battle of Singapore The fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore, took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of Japan captured the British stronghold of Singapore, with fighting lasting from 8 to 15 February 1942. S ...
*
Seletar Aerospace Park Seletar Aerospace Park is an industrial park in Singapore catering to the aerospace industries. Located in Seletar, the plan to develop 140 hectares of land adjacent to Seletar Airport will further strengthen Singapore's position as an aviatio ...
* Woodbridge Hospital *
Singapore Changi Airport Singapore Changi Airport ( ; ) is the primary international airport that serves the country of Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. More than 100 airlines operate from the airport, with flights to destinations in A ...


References


Works cited

* * Rawlings, J.D.R. "History of 230 Squadron". ''Air Pictorial'', July 1969. Vol. 31 No.7. pp. 242–244. * Shores, Christopher, Brian Cull and Yasuho Izawa. ''Bloody Shambles: Volume One: The Drift to War to the Fall of Singapore''. London: Grub Street, 1992. .


External links


Seletar Airport at Changi Airport GroupRAF Seletar Association
* ttp://www.northlincsweb.net/103Sqn/ History of 103 Squadron RAF 1917 - 1975 {{authority control 1928 establishments in British Malaya Airports established in 1928 Airports in Singapore Buildings and structures in North-East Region, Singapore Military of Singapore under British rule
Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
Transport in North-East Region, Singapore World War II sites in Singapore 20th-century architecture in Singapore