Seletar Airport in Singapore Completes Runway Extension

Singapore’s secondary civilian airport, Seletar Airport, has achieved a key milestone in its multi-year upgrading plan with the completion of its runway extension project.

Measuring 1.84 kilometres, close to 250 metres more than its original length, the extended runway allows Seletar Airport to support larger jet operations, as well as heavier take-off loads.

With the completion of the runway extension, Seletar Airport today resumes normal operations.

Seletar Airport, managed by Changi Airport Group (CAG), is positioning itself as a niche airport for business aviation, general aviation and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities.

Singapore has seen strong growth in the business aviation sector, with aircraft movements growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 17% from 2007 to 2010.

The growth in traffic at Seletar Airport is expected to continue in the coming years, driven by the increase in private jet usage in Asia, as well as the Singapore Government’s efforts to develop Seletar Aerospace Park into a leading-edge world-class aerospace facility.

To better serve the growing needs of Seletar Airport’s users, upgrading works commenced at end-2008 to improve the airport’s infrastructure. To facilitate the runway extension works, some of Seletar’s aviation activities, for example medical evacuation and some business jet operations, were temporarily shifted to Changi Airport during this period. With the completion of the works, these activities will be progressively relocated to Seletar Airport.

The extended runway is but one of several airport infrastructure improvements that Seletar Airport users can benefit from. When the airport upgrading project – planned by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and CAG – is fully completed in 2014, there will be a new control tower and fire station, significant increase in the number of parking stands, additional taxiways, upgraded aircraft parking aprons, as well as an instrument landing system.

Mr Yap Ong Heng, Director-General, CAAS, said, “We are committed to developing Singapore into a leading aviation hub. The transformation of Seletar Airport, and its surrounding areas into the Seletar Aerospace Park are key parts of this. They will support the aviation industry to tap Asia’s strong growth momentum to expand business aviation, general aviation and aerospace activities in Singapore.”

Mr Lim Ching Kiat, General Manager of Seletar Airport, and Senior Vice President, Market Development, CAG, said, “We believe that this region presents strong growth potential for business aviation, general aviation and MRO activities. The upgrading of the facilities at Seletar Airport will better support our airport partners’ growth plans. We would like to thank our airport partners at Seletar for their support and understanding during this period of upgrading works.”

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