RSAF begins using new Changi runway ahead of Paya Lebar Air Base relocation

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) on Monday (Sept 29) began operations from a new runway at its Changi Air Base East, ahead of plans to relocate Paya Lebar Air Base from 2030 and beyond.

Taking to its social media on Monday, the air force posted two photographs, showing showed a A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) taxiing, and taking off from the new Runway 03/21.

Captioning its post, the RSAF wrote: "Earlier today, our brand new Runway 03/21 at Changi Air Base (East) saw its inaugural take off, marking an exciting new chapter in the RSAF’s operations.

"The RSAF will be shifting our operations from Runway 02R/20L to Runway 03/21, in line with plans for the relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base from 2030 and beyond."

Then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first announced at the 2013 National Day Rally that about 800ha of land in Paya Lebar will be freed up for housing and industries with the air base's relocation.

Then, at the 2022 National Day Rally, he said that an estimated 150,000 new public and private homes — roughly the number in Punggol and Sengkang combined — would be built in the future Paya Lebar town after the air base relocates.

In 2020, then-Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen said in response to a parliamentary question that the relocation would only occur after Changi Air Base and Tengah Air Base have been expanded to house the existing assets at Paya Lebar.

Providing an update on the progress in a written parliamentary reply in September last year, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said the relocation of an airbase is a "complex endeavour", and will be done progressively as essential aircraft support infrastructure become ready at their respective air bases.

According to information published in an Aeronautical Information Publication supplement on July 23, the new runway would be operational from Sept 17 and would not be available for civilian use.

The publication, issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, contains information essential to air navigation in the country.

新加坡共和国空军（RSAF）于周一（9月29日）开始在其樟宜空军基地东部的新跑道上进行操作，为从2030年及以后搬迁巴耶利峇空军基地做准备。

周一，空军在其社交媒体上发布了两张照片，照片显示一架 A330 多用途加油运输机 (MRTT) 正在滑行，并从新的 03/21 跑道起飞。

新加坡空军在帖子中写道：“今天早些时候，我们在樟宜空军基地（东）的全新 03/21 号跑道迎来了首次起飞，标志着新加坡空军行动中激动人心的新篇章。

“根据巴耶利峇空军基地从2030年及以后搬迁的计划，新加坡空军将把我们的行动从02R/20L跑道转移到03/21跑道。”

时任总理李显龙在 2013 年国庆群众大会上首次宣布，随着空军基地的搬迁，巴耶利峇约 800 公顷的土地将腾出来用于住房和工业建设。

随后，在 2022 年国庆群众大会上，他表示，空军基地搬迁后，未来的巴耶利峇镇将建造约 15 万套新的公共和私人住宅——大致相当于榜鹅和盛港两地住宅数量的总和。

2020 年，时任国防部长黄永宏博士在回答国会质询时表示，只有在樟宜空军基地和登加空军基地扩建以容纳巴耶利峇现有资产之后，才会进行搬迁。

国防部长陈振声去年9月在国会书面答复中汇报了最新进展，他表示，空军基地的搬迁是一项“复杂的工程”，将随着各个空军基地必要的飞机支持基础设施的准备就绪而逐步进行。

根据 7 月 23 日航空信息出版物增刊中发布的信息，新跑道将于 9 月 17 日投入使用，但不对民用开放。

该出版物由新加坡民航局发布，包含了对该国空中导航至关重要的信息。