New Control Tower at Seletar Airport

As part of a strategic transformation plan to consolidate Singapore’s position as an aviation hub, capitalising on the aviation growth opportunities in the region, Seletar Airport and its surrounding areas are being developed into the Seletar Aerospace Park (SAP) 1, a premier aerospace hub in the region. The completion of the airport’s new control tower marks another milestone in the SAP’s development, following the completion of the runway extension in September last year. Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, officially commissioned the new control tower and extended runway at a ceremony jointly organised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) at Seletar Airport today.

“Seletar Airport is the backbone of SAP, providing the connectivity to the region needed to spur the growth of the SAP community. The successful completion of key infrastructure developments at Seletar Airport will enhance its operational efficiency and strengthen its capabilities, thereby delivering better services to meet the needs of airport users,” said Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of CAG.

“The modernisation of Seletar Airport, as part of the SAP, will enable the airport to support the aerospace activities being set up but also increased business aviation activities in Singapore. A key element is the air navigation services (ANS) facilities. Built to international standards, the new Seletar Control Tower and other ANS facilities will enhance the air traffic management capacity and capabilities at the airport,” Mr Yap Ong Heng, Director-General, CAAS, said.

“The achievement of Seletar Airport’s key project milestones bears testimony to the strong working relationship between CAG and all our airport partners. We would like to thank our airport partners at Seletar, as well as airport and SAP tenants, for their cooperation and understanding throughout the upgrading works. We look forward to their ongoing support as we continue to improve the airport’s infrastructure,” said Mr Lim Ching Kiat, General Manager, Seletar Airport.

Seletar Airport was the first airbase built in Singapore. Some of its infrastructure and facilities date back to pre-World War II. In 2007, the SAP project was launched, with Seletar Airport to be upgraded into a modern airport. Upgrading and redevelopment works commenced in 2008. The enhancements included a longer runway, a new control tower and fire station, double the number of parking stands, additional taxiways, upgraded aircraft parking aprons and an Instrument Landing System (ILS).

The extension of the runway from 1592 metres to 1836 metres, an addition of about 250 metres, was completed in September 2011. The extended runway enables Seletar Airport to support larger jet operations as well as heavier take-off loads expected with the growing business aviation sector.

Following this, the new control tower on the east side of the runway was completed. The old control tower was built before World War II. The new control tower has increased capacity and capability for the provision of air traffic services. The air traffic controllers are provided with more ergonomically designed workstations that enable them to multitask more effectively. The workstation can be easily customised for each controller’s specific role, and panels are arranged in an intuitive layout with the most-often-used equipment closest to the controller’s reach.

Seletar Airport currently operates a visual runway; pilots can only land at the airport if they have a clear view of the runway. The airport is therefore not able to receive aircraft in bad weather. The new control tower and an ILS that will be installed in 2014 will enable Seletar Airport to handle all-weather flight operations. The airport will be able to receive aircraft in poor visibility or inclement weather conditions any time of the day, thereby enhancing its operational capability.

Relocated to its new premises adjacent to the new control tower, the airport’s fire station has also undergone a significant upgrade. The new fire station enhances the Airport Emergency Service’s (AES) capability to respond swiftly to crisis situations. The nerve centre of AES’ operations, also known as the Watchroom, is now positioned to achieve better situational awareness, with a clearer surveillance view of the runway and aircraft movement areas. The station’s Fire Alarm Monitoring System has also been enhanced to incorporate a crash display system, which improves AES’ response time to any aircraft incidents at Seletar Airport.

With all the new and upgraded systems and support infrastructure in place when the Seletar Airport modernisation project is fully completed in 2014, airport users can look forward to enhanced efficiency at Seletar Airport.