Seletar Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Seletar Airport
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Civilian | ||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Changi Airport Group | ||||||||||
| Serves | North-East Region, Singapore | ||||||||||
| Location | 21 Seletar Aerospace Road 1, Singapore 797405 | ||||||||||
| Opened | 28 February 1928 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 11 m / 36 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 01°25′01″N 103°52′04″E / 1.41694°N 103.86778°E | ||||||||||
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 XSP
Location in Singapore
XSP
Location in Southeast Asia
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Location in Asia
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Seletar Airport (IATA: XSP, ICAO: WSSL) is an airport in the north-east part of Singapore. It's about 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of Changi Airport, which is Singapore's main airport. It's also about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) north of the city center.
The airport first opened in 1928 as RAF Seletar. It was a military airbase for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). In 1971, the base was given back to Singapore. The Singapore government wanted Seletar Airport and the areas around it to become a big center for aviation (airplane-related) industries. This area is now called the Seletar Aerospace Park.
Today, Seletar Airport mainly handles smaller planes. These include Turboprop planes and smaller private and business jets. It helps by taking some of the air traffic away from Changi Airport, which is very busy with larger jet planes. Even though it mostly handles smaller planes, Seletar's runway is big enough for jet aircraft like the Airbus A320 family. The runway is known as 03/21.
Contents
History of Seletar Airport
RAF Seletar: A British Airbase
RAF Seletar was a British Royal Air Force base in Singapore. It operated from 1928 to 1971. The RAF decided to build an airfield, a base for flying boats, and a naval base in Singapore in 1921. By 1923, two locations in the northern part of the island were chosen. The first planes to land at the base were four Supermarine Southampton seaplanes on February 28, 1928.
Seletar was also used for regular passenger flights from 1930 to 1937. This stopped when Kallang Airport opened.
Famous pilots also visited Seletar. Amy Johnson landed there in May 1930 during her flight from the UK to Australia. She flew a De Havilland Gipsy Moth plane named 'Jason'. Amelia Earhart also landed at Seletar in June 1937 during her attempt to fly around the world.
Seletar During World War II
As war became a threat, the RAF increased its forces in the Far East in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Seletar airfield was attacked by Japanese navy bombers. This happened during the first air raid on Singapore. The base was later left empty when the Japanese took Johor Bahru. This put their artillery within firing range of the airfield.
When the Japanese invaded Malaya and Singapore, Seletar was home to four RAF units. These units flew different types of aircraft, including Catalina flying boats and Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bombers. The Royal Australian Air Force also had a squadron there. These units stayed until early 1942, just before Singapore surrendered to the Japanese.
During the Japanese occupation (1942-1945), Seletar was used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. Many Japanese squadrons used Seletar for training. The airport's current runway was built during this time.
After World War II
After World War II, the base returned to the RAF. In the late 1940s and 1950s, the base played a big role in the Malayan Emergency. Planes like Beaufighters and Spitfires flew from Seletar to fight against communist rebels in Malaya.
In the 1960s, RAF Seletar was home to helicopter squadrons. These helicopters helped support operations in North Borneo during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. They also provided search and rescue services for Singapore. The RAF base closed in March 1971. Seletar was then given to Singapore's Department of Civil Aviation.
Seletar Airbase: Singapore Takes Over
In September 1968, the early stages of the Singapore Air Defence Command (which later became the Republic of Singapore Air Force, RSAF) began at Seletar Airbase. A Flying Training School was set up using Cessna 172 planes. This helped train more pilots.
In 1969, four armed people took over a domestic flight in Vietnam. They forced the plane, a Douglas DC-3, to land at Seletar Airport. The people asked for safety in Singapore and later gave themselves up to the authorities.
Managed by Changi Airport Group
The Changi Airport Group started managing Seletar Airport on July 1, 2009.
As part of the Seletar Aerospace Park plan, the runway was made longer in 2011. It became 1,840 meters (6,023 feet) long. This allowed bigger and heavier planes to use the airport. The airport's navigation systems were also improved.
The airport was updated in 2015. This was done to help reduce the workload on Changi Airport. Smaller and slower planes were moved from Changi to Seletar.
A new passenger terminal building opened on November 19, 2018. It replaced the old one. The new terminal has four check-in counters, six immigration lanes, and two security checkpoints. It can hold 200 passengers.
Dispute Over Landing System
In 2018, Singapore's use of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Seletar Airport caused a disagreement with Malaysia. Malaysia said the flight path might go into its airspace. In 2019, both countries agreed to a solution. Malaysia stopped its restricted airspace over Pasir Gudang. Singapore also stopped using the ILS procedures for Seletar Airport.
How Seletar Airport Operates Today
Seletar Airport now works as a general aviation airport. This means it's mostly used for planes that are not regular passenger flights. It handles chartered flights, private planes, and pilot training. The airport is open for planes to arrive and depart from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM local time.
It has one runway and 27 parking spots for aircraft. It also has space for storing cargo. In 1998, the airport handled nearly 8,000 scheduled flights. It also served over 23,000 passengers and more than 6,000 tons of cargo. The airport has its own fire service, AES Seletar.
Several flying clubs and schools are located at Seletar Airport. These include the Republic of Singapore Flying Club and the Singapore Flying College. The famous Singapore Youth Flying Club has its main building on the western side of the airport's runway. This clubhouse opened in June 2003. It has its own parking areas for its Diamond DA40 planes. Also, a helicopter training unit of the Republic of Singapore Air Force is based here.
Before, Berjaya Air flew regular flights from Seletar to Tioman and Redang. This service ended on October 31, 2010, and moved to Changi Airport.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of daily commercial flights at the airport dropped a lot. Airport operations also had to follow new health rules. On June 13, 2022, Firefly restarted flights to the airport. This marked the return of commercial flights after the pandemic caused them to stop.
Airlines and Destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
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| Firefly | Kuala Lumpur–Subang |
Photo Gallery
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Vickers Vildebeest Mk IIs of No. 100 Squadron RAF at RAF Seletar.
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A Vickers Vildebeest Mk III from No. 36 Squadron RAF flying over Singapore City.
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Short Singapore Mk III flying boat of No. 205 Squadron RAF with Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bombers of 100 Sqn.
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A Short Singapore Mk III flying boat, like those used by 205 Sqn.
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Catalina I of 205 Sqn being serviced in a hangar at RAF Seletar.
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December 1945, captured Mitsubishi J2M Raiden fighters from the 381st Kōkūtai being checked at Seletar airfield.
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The same Mitsubishi J2M Raiden fighters being test flown by Japanese pilots under supervision of RAF officers from Seletar.
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A 205 Sqn Short Sunderland Mark V at the ramp of RAF Seletar. This plane was the last of its type to retire from active RAF service.
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A Spitfire PR Mk 19, similar to those flown by No. 81 Squadron RAF from RAF Seletar.
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The viewing gallery of Singapore Youth Flying Club looking over the runway of Seletar. You can see the club's Piper Warrior taxiing on the runway.
Getting Around: Ground Transportation
Bus Services
You can find two bus services (103 and 117) at the old airport terminal.
Since October 14, 2018, bus service 102 also stops at the new airport terminal. This bus stop is right inside the Passenger Terminal Building. Service 102 connects you to the North East Line at Sengkang and Hougang stations.
If you want to go to Changi Airport, you can get off at the Jalan Kayu roundabout. From there, you can transfer to bus service 858. You can also connect to Tampines, Pasir Ris, and Serangoon using services 168, 39, and 103 from this roundabout.
Train (MRT) Connections
There are no MRT (train) stations very close to the airport right now. However, you can take bus service 103 from the Aft Baker St bus stop to get to Yishun MRT station on the North South Line. The closest MRT station by distance is Sengkang MRT station on the North East Line. You can reach it by taking the Sengkang LRT line's West Loop to Thanggam LRT station and then transferring.
Taxis
Taxis are available at the taxi stands outside the departure hall. There is an extra airport fee for all taxi rides that start from the airport.
Private Cars
If someone is picking you up in a private car, they should go to the arrival pick-up point.
See Also
- Singapore strategy
- British Far East Command
- Far East Air Force (Royal Air Force)
- Far East Strategic Reserve
- Former overseas RAF bases
- Battle of Singapore
- Seletar Aerospace Park
- Woodbridge Hospital
- Singapore Changi Airport
