When it comes to Singapore’s airports, everybody knows our national pride: Changi Airport, with its many terminals and crown jewel AKA Jewel Changi. You might also be familiar with Seletar Airport, which is still commercially operational and offers flights to KL via Firefly Airlines. But, are you familiar with Old Kallang Airport? Or, Kallang Airport, as it was officially named back in the day.
It predated the Paya Lebar Airport, which was our country’s main airport before Changi Airport came to be. In fact, Kallang Airport was Singapore’s very first civil international airport – that is, flying overseas commercially instead of just for military purposes – and opened in 1937 during the colonial era.
We delve into this important chapter in our country’s aviation history, and see how the government plans to redevelop the site into a lifestyle hub:
Image credit: u/ProfundaMaro via Reddit
Kallang Airport opened on 12th June 1937, making it the country’s first international airport and connecting colonial-era Singapore to the rest of the world.
It was built on reclaimed mangrove swampland at the edge of the Kallang Basin, and the space was transformed into an operational airfield. Designed by British architects, Old Kallang Airport sported an art deco aesthetic, with a distinctive circular glass control tower.
Image credit: Roots
Historical airlines flying in and out of Old Kallang Airport included the British Overseas Airways Corporation or BOAC, Imperial Airways which was the UK’s first national carrier and a forerunner of what is now British Airways, and Malayan Airways, which was the former national airline of Malaya and Singapore during the post-war colonial years.
The joint Malayan Airways would then dissolve to give way to 2 airline carriers: Malaysia Airlines, and another one of our national prides – Singapore Airlines.
Image credit: u/ProfundaMaro via Reddit
During World War II, Kallang was one of the key airfields for Allied forces defending Singapore. As such, Old Kallang Airport was converted to military use, and served as a base for the Royal Air Force.
It was bombed extensively during the Japanese invasion in 1942, and continued to serve as a military site after the occupation. Post-war, Old Kallang Airport shifted gears to resume operations as a civilian airport.
By the early 1950s, air travel was booming and the nation needed a bigger airport. Old Kallang Airport’s runway was too short to facilitate newer and bigger aircraft models, so it was shut down in 1955. That’s when Paya Lebar Airport came into the picture, opening on 20th August 1955 with a bigger space, longer runways, and more modern facilities.
People’s Association HQ on the Old Kallang Airport premises.
Image credit: National Library Board Archives
The main terminal building – and even the site of several hangars – were taken over by the People’s Association (PA) as its headquarters from 1960 to 2009. Talk about a cool office space!
Parts of Old Kallang Airport’s runway became Kallang Park. And thereafter, surrounding parts of the unutilised area were repurposed as the site for facilities like the National Stadium within what we now know as The Kallang – formerly called Singapore Sports Hub.
The further neighbouring space was transformed into a residential area AKA the Old Kallang Airport Estate, with street names like Old Airport Road, Kallang Airport Drive, and Kallang Airport Way forever memorialising this region’s iconic aviation past.
Image credit: @syntaxfree via Flickr
Although it has been vacant since PA stopped using the space as its headquarters, the Old Kallang Airport still retains key structures from the terminal building to the hangars and gateposts. In fact, these elements are conserved by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
Art exhibits displayed in Old Kallang Airport’s terminal and hangar during Singapore Biennale 2011.
Image adapted from: @tangenghui via Flickr
The site occasionally hosts events, such as art exhibitions during the Singapore Biennale in 2011, and is currently earmarked for future redevelopment. URA and the Singapore Land Authority have announced that plans are in the works for Old Kallang Airport to be revitalised as a mixed-use lifestyle and recreational hub, all while preserving that heritage vibe and paying proper homage to the rich aviation history behind it.
With Changi Airport so deeply cemented as a national icon – and the very first glimpse of Singapore for millions of visitors – it’s no surprise that our nation and our airport are closely intertwined in the minds of both locals and tourists. This makes learning about Singapore’s first airport all the more meaningful.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore
Old Kallang Airport, humble in scale but monumental in impact in its time, was a vital civil aviation hub and wartime airfield. Its impact lasted beyond its years of operation, as it set the stage for successors like Paya Lebar Airport and, eventually, Changi Airport to soar to the world-class status we celebrate today.
Work being carried out on the Old Kallang Airport site.
Image credit: Ashi Fernando via Facebook
While the plans to redevelop it are still in the early stages with no concrete deadlines set, it’ll be exciting – whether or not you’re an aviation or history buff – to see how this historical landmark is transformed with a new lease of life.
Check out our other history and nostalgia deep-dives:
Cover image adapted from: Roots, Driven By Indra via YouTube
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