Follow us on this journey of tracing the development of civil aviation in Singapore from 1911, and celebrate with us the many milestones of CAAS that have brought us to where we are today.

 
  • PhotoofthefirstflightinSingaporewhichtookoffin1911

    1911

    The first flight in Singapore took off at the old Race Course (now Farrer Park), as part of a flight demonstration. It was piloted by M Joseph Christiaens.

  • PhotoofthefirstoverseasaircraftwhichlandedinSingaporein1919

    1919

    The first overseas aircraft – piloted by Captain Ross Smith – landed at Race Course in Singapore while it was en route from England to Australia.

  • PhotoofthefirstpayingpassengernewspapertycoonWVanLearBlack

    1927

    The first paying passenger, newspaper tycoon W Van Lear Black, arrived on Balestier Plain in a single-engine monoplane chartered from KLM in Europe.

  • PhotoofSeletarAirBase

    1929

    The Seletar Air Base was completed.

  • PhotoofSingaporesfirstcommercialflightwhicharrivedin1930

    1930

    Singapore’s first commercial flight – a KN/LM Fokker F-7A with eight passengers from Batavia – arrived on 11 February.

  • PhotoofoldKallangAirport

    1937

    Kallang Airport was officially opened on 12 June. Wearne's Air Service started Malaya's first internal air service, linking Singapore to towns in Peninsula Malaysia. Malayan Airway Ltd (MAL) was registered this year.

  • Photoofmilitaryplane

    1942

    The development of civil aviation was interrupted by World War II.

  • PhotoofMalayanAirwayLtdMALplane

    1947

    Malayan Airway Ltd (MAL) inaugurated its first scheduled flight from Kallang to Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang.

  • PhotoofpeopleatPayaLebarairportsite

    1951

    A decision was made to build a new airport at Paya Lebar.

  • PhotoofPayaLebarAirport

    1955

    Paya Lebar Airport was officially opened on 20 August.

  • PhotoofMalaysia-SingaporeAirlinesMSAplane

    1966

    Malayan Airway Ltd (MAL) changed its name to Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) after the governments of independent Singapore and Malaysia acquired a joint majority holding on it.

  • PhotoofSingaporeAirlinesplane

    1972

    Singapore Airlines was formed out of the "reconstruction" of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA).

  • PhotoofSingaporeChangiAirportPassengerTerminal1

    1975

    A decision was made to build Singapore Changi Airport. Start of Phase I development of Changi Airport (which included the completion of a runway, 45 aircraft parking bays, Passenger Terminal 1, a huge maintenance hangar, a fire station, workshop and administrative offices, an airfreight complex, cargo agent buildings, in-flight catering kitchens, and a 78-metre high control tower).

  • PhotoofSingaporeChangiAirportPassengerTerminal1

    1981

    Singapore Changi Airport opened for operation on 1 July and was officially opened on 29 December. Start of Phase II development (which included work on the second runaway, taxiways, 23 aircraft parking bays, a second fire station, and a third cargo agent building).

  • PhotoofSingaporeChangiAirportPassengerTerminal2

    1986

    Construction of Passenger Terminal 2 (which included work on associated roadwork, two multi-storey carparks, a people mover system [Changi Skytrain], and a baggage transfer system between the two terminals).

  • PhotoofSingaporeChangiAirportPassengerTerminal2

    1990

    Terminal 2 was completed and opened for operation on 22 November.

  • PhotoofSingaporeChangiAirportPassengerTerminal2OpeningCeremony

    1991

    Terminal 2 was officially opened on 1 June.

  • PhotoofSingaporeAviationAcademySAA

    1992

    Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA) was officially opened on 22 November.

  • PhotoofLORADSIILongRangeRadarandDisplaySystem

    1995

    A commemoration ceremony for the completion of Terminal 1's refurbishment was held on 6 January. One new Finger Pier was opened at Terminal 2 in August. On 1 October, CAAS's air traffic controllers at the Singapore Air Traffic Centre shifted to a new control centre as the new Air Traffic Control (ATC) system – known as LORADS II (Long Range Radar and Display System) – was put into operation to replace LORADS I.

  • PhotoofinteriorofSingaporeAirTrafficControlCentre

    1996

    The official commissioning ceremony for the Long Range Radar and Display System (LORADS II) was held at Singapore Air Traffic Control Centre on 27 June. Two Finger Piers at Terminal 2 were officially opened on 20 July.

  • PhotooftheCargoAgentsBuildingCABE

    1998

    The Cargo Agents Building (CAB E) were completed in January. The Extended C-Finger Pier at Terminal 1 was opened in December.

  • PhotoofSingaporeAviationAcademySAAconferredthe34thICAOEdwardWarnerAwardPhotoofTerminal3designmap

    2000

    Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA) was conferred the prestigious 34th ICAO Edward Warner Award on behalf of ICAO's 185 Member States for its "eminent contribution as a centre of excellence in international civil aviation training".

  • SingaporeAviationAcademy2000map

    2000

    A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the construction of the new Terminal 3.

  • PhotoofCargoAgentsBuildingChangiMegaplex1

    2002

    A new Cargo Agents Building, Changi Megaplex 1, was completed. The 5-storey warehouse comprises 15 warehouse units (approximately 1,500 square metres each) over three levels and offices over two levels.

  • PhotooftheAirportLogisticsParkofSingaporeALPS

    2003

    The Airport Logistics Park of Singapore (ALPS) was officially opened. The S$35 million ALPS is located next to the Changi Airfreight Centre and is gazetted as a Free Trade Zone.

  • PhotoofCAASreceivingthe2003SingaporeQualityAwardSQAbySPRINGSingapore

    2003

    CAAS was awarded the 2003 Singapore Quality Award (SQA) by SPRING Singapore. The SQA is a premier award given to organisations in Singapore that have achieved the highest standards of business excellence.

  • PhotoofAirbus380

    2005

    Changi Airport became the first airport outside Europe to welcome the Airbus 380 when the super jumbo double-decker aircraft arrived for airport compatibility verification tests. It is also the first airport in the world to have a third Passenger Loading Bridge ready for simulation tests with the A380 aircraft.

  • PhotooftheBudgetTerminal

    2006

    The ‘Budget Terminal’ for scheduled flight operations was opened. The dedicated terminal for low cost carriers is the first in Asia.

  • PhotoofinauguralChangiAirlineAwardsceremony

    2006

    CAAS held its inaugural ‘Changi Airline Awards’ ceremony to celebrate the strong partnership between the Authority and all the airlines operating at Changi Airport.

  • PhotooftheTerminal3Topping-outCeremony

    2006

    The Terminal 3 Topping-out Ceremony was conducted in May.

  • PhotoofChangiAirports25thanniversarycelebrations

    2006

    Changi Airport celebrated its 25th birthday. A special gala dinner, graced by Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, was held at Swissotel The Stamford for about 1,000 airport staff and guests.

  • PhotoofupgradedTerminal2

    2006

    The S$240 million Terminal 2 upgrading project was officially completed.

  • PhotoofChangiAirportreceivingspecialTwentyYearsattheTopBestAirportintheWorldaward

    2007

    Changi Airport received from Business Traveller (UK) magazine a special award, “Twenty Years at the Top, Best Airport in the World”, for being the longest “Best Airport in the World” title holder for the past 20 consecutive years.

  • PhotoofinteriorofTerminal3

    2008

    Terminal 3 commenced scheduled flight operations.

  • PhotoofCAASandCAGlogos

    2009

    Two entities – the new CAAS and Changi Airport Group – were formed from the corporatisation of Changi's Airport operations and restructuring of CAAS.

  • PhotoofTerminal1interior

    2009

    A forward-looking economic regulation framework was put in place to strengthen Changi Airport’s position as a competitive international air hub while incentivising its operator, CAG, to be more innovative and efficient in its operations and to achieve sustainable economic returns.

  • PhotoofCAASreceivingtheinauguralAirNavigationServicesProviderofTheYear

    2009

    CAAS received the inaugural Air Navigation Services Provider of The Year award from the Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) in recognition of its leadership role in the industry and promotion of efficient air traffic management in the region.

  • PhotoofMrMervynGFernando

    2009

    A Singapore official, Mr Mervyn G Fernando, was elected the President of the International Civil Aviation Organization's Air Navigation Commission.

  • PhotooflaunchceremonyofAviationDevelopmentFund

    2010

    CAAS introduced a $100 million Aviation Development Fund to drive the development and growth of the aviation industry in Singapore.

  • PhotoofSingaporeofficialsatInternationalCivilAviationOrganizationICAO

    2010

    Singapore was re-elected into the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly in Montreal, Canada.