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.
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