History & Milestones

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.

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.

1929

The Seletar Air Base was completed.

1930

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

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.

1942

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

1947

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

1951

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

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.

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).

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).

1990

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

PhotoofSingaporeChangiAirportPassengerTerminal2OpeningCeremony

1991

Terminal 2 was officially opened on 1 June.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2008

Terminal 3 commenced scheduled flight operations.

2009

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

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.

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.