"RAF Seletar" & "Seletar Airbase/Airfield" redirects here.

Seletar Airport (IATA: XSP, ICAO: WSSL) (Chinese: 实里达机场) was Singapore's first international airport. It was completed in 1928 originally as RAF Seletar.

It is located in Seletar in the north-eastern area of the main island, and is managed by the Changi Airport Group. There has been a proposal to extend its runway to 2,000 metres, so as to be able to receive the Boeing 737 used by many budget airlines. However, after considerations by the Singapore Government and the CAAS, they decided to build a Budget Terminal in Singapore Changi Airport instead.

History

RAF Seletar

RAF Seletar Crest Badge

RAF Seletar was a Royal Air Force station in Singapore 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 seaplanes on February 28, 1928.

RAF Seletar served as a civil airport from 1930 before the opening of Singapore's first civil airport at Kallang on June 12, 1937 (to the late 1940s).

The air base was briefly host to Amy Johnson during May 1930 on her UK - Australia flight in her Gipsy Moth named 'Jason'.

Pre-WW2 and during WW2

As war clouds gathered over Singapore, 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 when Japanese navy bombers conducted the first air raid on Singapore, sometime after their ground forces invaded Kota Bahru. It was abandoned when the Japanese took Johore Bahru, which brought their artillery in range of the airfield.

When the Japanese launched their invasion of Malaya and Singapore, Seletar housed the RAF’s 205 Sqn with PBY Catalina flying boats and 36 and 100 Sqns with obsolete Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bombers, along with 151 Maintenance Unit. These units stayed until Jan-Feb 1942, soon before the surrender to the invading Japanese.

During the Japanese occupation, Seletar (like Sembawang) was under the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, and a number of IJN squadrons were based or transited through Seletar mainly, for training (the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force took over RAF Tengah). Among the units known to be based at Seletar during this time were 936 Kokutai (B5N Kate, D3A Val and E13A1 Jake), 381 Kokutai (A6M Zero and J2M Raiden). The 601 Kokutai was also stationed there for training in early before its destruction on board Japanese aircraft carriers during the Battle of Philippine Sea (Marianas Turkey Shoot) in June. Seletar’s present runway was built during the Japanese Occupation.

Post-WW2

After World War 2, the base went back to the RAF and, in the late 1940s and 1950s, the base was heavily involved in the Malayan Emergency, with Beaufighters, Spitfires and Mosquitos based there while operating against Malayan Communist insurgents. Among the many squadrons based there during this time were Nos 60, 81 and 205 Sqns of the RAF.

During the 1960s, RAF Seletar was home base to No's 103 and 110 Squadrons, both of which were equipped with Westland Whirlwind Mk 10 helicopters and to 34 Squadron, which was equipped with Blackburn Beverleys. All three Squadrons (among several others) were involved with support of operations in North Borneo 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, Brunei, Labuan 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 and Twin Pioneer aircraft. 65 Squadron based at Seletar operated Bloodhound Mk II surface-to-air missiles as anti-aircraft defence from 1st January 1964 until the squadron was disbanded on 30th March 1970 with the equipment and role handed over to 170 Squadron, Republic of Singapore Air Force. Auster aircraft were flown during the Emergency and Confrontation periods in troop/enemy spotting patrols.

In December 1966, three Andover CC Mk1 arrived to replace the ageing Twin Pioneers. 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.

Closure

The RAF station closed at the end of March 1971 and Seletar was handed over to the Singapore Air Defence Command (SADC, which became the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) later) by 1973, after the British pullout.

Among Seletar’s claim to fame was the fact that several classic aircraft type flew their last RAF Operational sorties from there including the Short Singapore flying boat (Mk.III K6912 of No. 205 Squadron RAF 14 October 1941, aircraft transferred to No. 5 Squadron RNZAF), Supermarine Spitfire (PR.XIX PS888 of 81 Sqn 1954) De Havilland Mosquito (PR.34 RG314 of 81 Sqn 1955), Short Sunderland flying boat (ML797 205 Sqn 15 May 1959) and Bristol Beaufighter (TT.X RD761 Station Flight 1960).

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 172G/H on loan from the Singapore Flying Club. The subsequent arrival of eight new Cessna 172Ks in May 1969, took over the duty from the former and contributed to the increase of training tempo for more selected trainees to participate in the basic flight-training course.

Current operations

Seletar Airport now operates as a general aviation airport, mainly for chartered flights. As of 2007, the only scheduled services operating from Seletar are Berjaya Air's flights to Tioman and Redang. It has a single runway and 27 aircraft stands, and is opened 24 hours a day.

In 1998, Seletar Airport received 7,945 scheduled flights altogether, handling 23,919 passengers and 6,025 tons of cargo.

The Republic of Singapore Flying Club, Seletar Flying Club and Singapore Flying College are situated at Seletar Airport. The Singapore Flying College also conducts its flying training at Jandakot Airport in Perth, Western Australia and at Sunshine Coast Airport in Maroochydore, Queensland.

Another prominent flying school is the Singapore Youth Flying Club, which has its headquarters built on western side of the airport's runway. Completed in June 2001, the clubhouse also has its own parking bays for its fleet of Piper Warrior II and CT-4E.

In 2007, JTC Corporation announced the plan to upgrade the Seletar Airport to support the upcoming Seletar Aerospace Park. The plan includes the lengthening of the airport's runway from its current length to 1,800 metres and the upgrading of its avionics systems to allow bigger aircraft to land and take off.

Changi Airport Group took over the management of the airport from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore on July 1, 2009.

Passenger facilities

There are two check-in counters, an outdoor car park, three sets of credit-card telephone, lavatory for the handicapped, soft-drink vending machine, drinking-water tap, outdoor covered waiting seats, passenger service and VIP lounge, taxi stall, etc.

Food is available from a canteen, opposite West Camp Road.

Freight facilities

Seletar Airport can handle 840 tons of freight per day. It also has 100 square metres of warehouse space.

Operating airlines

• Airmark Aviation
• Berjaya Air (Redang, Tioman)
• Silverfly (Ipoh)-commences April 1

Charter flights are also operated to Batam in Indonesia.

Photo gallery

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2010.
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