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31-704: Kallang Park was so named because it was built on the site of the former Kallang Airport runway, on the eastern bank of the Kallang Basin. The area is now part of the Kallang planning area. Its Chinese name "劳动公园", however, translates to "labour park". Its Malay name " Taman Kallang " is a translation based on the English version. Plans to convert the lands of the former Kallang Airport into public spaces were first announced by then-Minister for National Development Ong Eng Guan as "Project Long" in 1950s. It

62-538: A group of sea-gypsies living around the area in the 1800s. On 11 February 1930, the Dutch Airline KLM operated the first service flight between Amsterdam and Batavia (now Jakarta ), landing at Seletar with a Dutch-made Fokker trimotor monoplane carrying 8 passengers and a cargo of fresh fruit, flowers and mail. This marked the beginning of commercial civil aviation in Singapore. KLM later introduced

93-536: A regular Amsterdam to Batavia flight service in late 1931. Two years later, in July 1933, Imperial Airways , the flagship airline of the British empire at the time, started a service between London and Darwin via Cairo, Karachi, Calcutta, Singapore and Jakarta. This service was later extended to Brisbane and operated jointly with Qantas on 17 December 1934. Booming commercial aviation traffic led to congestion at

124-428: A steady toll on men and machines, and by the last days of January 1942, the airfield had been badly damaged by the bombing and only a small number of aircraft were serviceable. The last of the fighters left in early February, escaping to carry on the fight just before Singapore was surrendered to the advancing Japanese. Air Headquarters Malaya Communication Squadron RAF was formed here. The growth in aviation traffic

155-476: A swamp close to Kallang River . In Malay, Paya means "swamp" and lebar means "wide". Due to the swamp, the area mainly consisted of squatters who reared pig and poultry and also grew market produce. In 1865, Richard Owen Norris bought part of the area and lived there with his family. The Singapore International Airport was built in Paya Lebar from 1952 to 1955, and opened on 20 August that year by

186-584: Is a planning area located in the East Region of Singapore , bordered by Hougang to the west, Sengkang to the northwest, Tampines to the east, Bedok to the south and Pasir Ris to the north. As part of the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Master Plan 2014, Paya Lebar Central was identified as one of the five growth areas. It was since earmarked as an up-and-coming commercial hub, in line with

217-484: Is a circular glass control tower in the centre, and there are two side blocks, the former terminal building, with an open-air viewing deck on the top floor. The People's Association kept the concrete structure and transparent glazed walls and repaired the façade, closed the gates, and rebuilt the window on the second floor for reshaping the interior space for the use of offices. Paya Lebar Paya Lebar ( / ˈ p ɑː j ɑː ˌ l eɪ b ɑː / PAH-ya LAY-bar )

248-644: Is currently unoccupied. Other parts of the Kallang Airport were redeveloped. The area surrounding the airport's former runway was first converted into the Kallang Park , a large public park created as part of "Project Lung"; later, the old National Stadium was built on the same site; today, the Singapore Sports Hub (including the new National Stadium and Singapore Indoor Stadium ) is a major national landmark. The eastern portion of

279-539: The Secretary of State for the Colonies , Alan Lennox-Boyd . Singapore International Airport began to be gradually converted into a military air-force base from late 1967 onwards. It became a complete military airbase in 1981 when Singapore Changi Airport was opened and was subsequently renamed as Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) in the same year. Paya Lebar covers Aljunied GRC and Tampines GRC which were warded by

310-751: The Kallang Aerodrome was officially opened by Sir Shenton Thomas , who had taken over the governorship of the Straits Settlements from Sir Cecil in 1934. At the time it was hailed as "the finest airport in the British Empire ", with facilities that were considered revolutionary. The circular aerodrome allowed planes to land from any direction, and the slipway allowed seaplanes to be served at the same terminal building as regular planes. Wearne's Air Service promptly initiated its Malaya internal air service on June 28, 1937, leveraging

341-449: The Kallang Airport was redeveloped into one of Singapore's first modern residential precinct, now called the "Old Kallang Airport Estate". It was one of the locations that hosted the 2011 Singapore Biennale art festival. There are plans to transform the Kallang Airport area into a commercial hub, along with the adjacent Kallang riverside. Today, roads like Old Airport Road , Kallang Airport Drive, Kallang Airport Way directly reference

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372-486: The Kallang Airport; Old Terminal Lane refers to the conserved Kallang Airport terminal building; Dakota Crescent , Dakota Close and Dakota MRT station are named after the Douglas DC-3 "Dakota" aircraft that used to land frequently at the Kallang Airport and serve to commemorate an aviation disaster in 1946 . Looking into the future, I expect to see Singapore become one of the largest and most important airports of

403-871: The Kallang Cinema (now the Kallang Theatre ), was built in the Kallang Park. By 1973, the former National Stadium was erected at the site of the Kallang Park. Today, the same site has been redeveloped into the Singapore Sports Hub , consisting of the new National Stadium , Singapore Indoor Stadium and numerous other sports facilities. The name "Kallang Park" is now preserved in the row of godowns along Jalan Benaan Kapal . Kallang Park had entertainment facilities for both adults and children, including kart racing, agriculture shows, roller coaster, ferris wheel, nightclub, bowling centre and ice skating rink, among others. Its most notable feature, however,

434-596: The Old Kallang Airport Estate. The estate is served by Dakota MRT station , which took its name from the Dakota DC-3 aircraft which used to land at the Kallang Airport. Two new roads near Kallang MRT station have been named "Kallang Airport Drive" and "Kallang Airport Way". In addition, Old Terminal Lane, which links Geylang Road with Kallang Airport Way, references the Kallang Airport's conserved terminal building. The slipway for seaplanes

465-497: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Singapore. The original Terminal Building is an iconic modernist building with Art Deco-style railings and columns by Frank Dorrington Ward. The international style is also visible in this building as a radical simplification of form, lack of ornaments, using transparent materials which make the building visually lighter; also the clear division of functions. There

496-503: The advanced infrastructure of the newly unveiled Kallang Aerodrome. Positioned at the forefront of aviation innovation, the circular aerodrome's state-of-the-art facilities provided an optimal setting for the airline's operations. When the Japanese launched their invasion of Malaya and Singapore on 8 December 1941, Kallang was the principal fighter airfield. By January 1942, it was the only operational fighter airfield in Singapore, as

527-462: The airport's perimeter on the Kallang Basin, the Kallang Airport was hailed as "the finest airport in the British Empire " at that time. Famous aviator Amelia Earhart once described it as "an aviation miracle of the East". Construction of the Kallang Airport began in 1931 with 300 acres (120 ha) of mangrove swampland being reclaimed. It resulted in the displacement of a large Malay community to

558-470: The area around Jalan Eunos. Three Hawker Osprey aircraft first touched down in the Kallang Airport around two years before its official opening, on 21 November 1935. During World War II , the Kallang Airport was the only operational airfield in Singapore capable of supporting Allied campaigns against the Japanese forces. It was during the Japanese occupation period that the airport's grass landing zone

589-415: The city centre as well as its location next to the Kallang Basin, which allowed seaplanes to land. Reclamation work began on the 103 hectares of a tidal swamp in Kallang Basin in 1932. Seven million cubic metres of earth were used for the filling of this tidal swamp. By 1936, all reclamation and consolidation of land were completed, forming a 915-metre diameter, dome-shaped landing ground. On 12 June 1937,

620-455: The eastern boundary of the facility into what is now Old Airport Road. The new runway was 5,496 feet (1,675 m) long and 165 feet (50 m) wide. This necessitated the installation of traffic lights to halt vehicular traffic every time a plane took off or landed. Kallang Airport has left several reminders of its existence. The old runway near to Mountbatten Road is now called Old Airport Road . The surrounding public flats there are named

651-488: The existing Seletar Airbase (today's Seletar Airport ), creating a need for a new airport. On 31 August 1931, Sir Cecil Clementi , Governor of the Straits Settlements , announced that Kallang Basin as the location for the new civil aerodrome suitable for land planes and seaplanes, and relieving Seletar of commercial flight activities. This place was chosen over other possible sites because of its proximity to

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682-579: The most notable being the People's Association which used the facility as its headquarters from 1960 to 2009. While most parts of the airport were demolished soon after its closure, numerous structures remain. The structures which were gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on 5 December 2008 include the airport's terminal building, administrative blocks, aircraft hangars and control tower. The conserved complex

713-528: The other airfields ( Tengah , Seletar and Sembawang ) were within range of Japanese artillery at Johor Bahru . Brewster Buffalo fighters of 243 Squadron RAF , 488 Squadron RNZAF and a detachment of 2-VLG-V of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force operated from the airfield, defending Singapore from repeated Japanese air raids. They were joined later by Hawker Hurricanes of 232 Squadron RAF , but attrition took

744-401: The wider decentralisation strategy to ensure the city's sustainable growth. Paya Lebar participates in the pilot Business Improvement District (BID) programme. Although they have similar names, Paya Lebar Central, Paya Lebar MRT Station and Paya Lebar Road are not part of Paya Lebar Planning Area, instead are part of Geylang East planning subzone, part of Geylang . Paya Lebar was formerly

775-406: The world ... It is, therefore, essential that we should have here, close to the heart of the town, an aerodrome which is equally suitable for land planes and for sea planes; and the best site, beyond all question, is the Kallang Basin. Sir Cecil Clementi , Governor of the Straits Settlements , 31 August 1931. Kallang Airport got its name from the nearby Kallang Basin , which was named after

806-533: Was constructed with the involvement of both the government and volunteers. The park was officially opened on 18 October 1959 by Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and Law Wee Toon Boon . In July 1969, the Wonderland Amusement Park was integrated into the Kallang Park, costing an estimated amount of S$ 3 million in construction. In 1970, Singapore's largest cinema at that time,

837-565: Was occupied by the Oasis Building, a structure built on the Kallang Basin . The terminal building itself was used as the headquarters of the People's Association until 9 April 2009, when it moved to its new headquarters at King George's Avenue. The PA building held many activities for the ruling People's Action Party, ranging from school visits to social events. Kallang Airport was gazetted for conservation on 5 December 2008 by

868-433: Was officially opened on 12 June 1937 and was closed in 1955, when its operations were relocated to Paya Lebar . At its greatest extent, the airport, which was situated on the eastern shore of the Kallang Basin , spanned the modern planning areas of Kallang and Geylang . The conserved remains of the airport, including its terminal building, are located wholly within Kallang. Boasting an anchorage area for seaplanes along

899-651: Was perhaps a fountain gifted by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry , noted for its futuristic design. 1°18′15.4″N 103°52′28.6″E  /  1.304278°N 103.874611°E  / 1.304278; 103.874611 Kallang Airport Kallang Airport (also known as the Kallang Aerodrome , Kallang Airfield and RAF Kallang ) was the first purpose-built civil international airport in Singapore . It

930-482: Was stunted during the war years , a period which saw the landing circle being converted into a single runway to allow use by warplanes. The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and Qantas resumed their regular services to the airport, while the resurrected local airline Malayan Airways (MAL) began services on 1 May 1947. In the early 1950s, the increasing size of aircraft and the need for longer runways resulted in it being extended beyond Mountbatten Road in

961-447: Was upgraded into a concrete runway and extended to 5,500 feet (1,700 m). As early as 1950, plans were made to build a new airport at Paya Lebar (the current Paya Lebar Air Base ) as the Kallang Airport was unable to cope with the increase in air traffic despite being expanded. The Kallang Airport finally closed in 1955. The Kallang Airport compound was subsequently occupied by several organisations following its decommissioning,

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