Oral Reply by Second Minister for Defence, Mr Ong Ye Kung, to Parliamentary Questions on the Relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base and Expansion of Tengah Air Base

Ms Sun Xueling: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) what factors determine the timeline for the relocation of Paya Lebar Air base; and (b) whether residents in the northeast within the flight path will experience a steady decrease in loud sounds from aircraft flying past with the phased relocation of Paya Lebar Air base.
 
Ms Sun Xueling: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) what factors determine the flight times and flight frequencies of aircraft flying to and from the Paya Lebar Air base; (b) whether there is seasonality to these times and frequencies; and (c) if so, how can the public find out more about the frequencies of flight times to plan their daily activities especially when they have to take care of young children.
 
Mr Alex Yam Ziming: To ask the Minister for Defence with the proposed expansion of Tengah Air base to accommodate the partial relocation of Paya Lebar Air base, how will the Ministry (i) ensure that residents in the vicinity of the air base will not be affected by any changes in operations resulting in increased noise and (ii) assure residents of the safety precautions for training or operations with increased air traffic.
 
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) is scheduled at 2030 and beyond. It is a complex undertaking and therefore the timeline cannot be fixed exactly now but when implemented, it will free up 800 hectares of prime land in the north-east region. While the available land on PLAB can house a new town larger than Ang Mo Kio town, the positive effects will extend far beyond this. Within a five kilometre radius around the periphery of PLAB, more than 1,000,000 people now live and work. After relocation, many more will be able to do so. Buildings all the way to Marina South can be built higher to provide for more homes, offices and retail in central, eastern and southern parts of Singapore. The relocation of PLAB will have enormous positive impact on countless families but most importantly Singapore as a whole will benefit. But as we relocate from PLAB, we must never and will not compromise the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s operational readiness to defend our skies. Government agencies will do all they can to minimise and mitigate the effects of relocation but we will not trade our continued peace and security for comfort and economic gains. That will be short-sighted and negligent.

The relocation of PLAB is complex because it now houses one third of the RSAF's fixed wing squadrons. These assets together with the operational infrastructure will need to be built up in or moved to the expanded Tengah and Changi air bases with relatively less built up and urban environments. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and Ministry of National Development (MND) have been working closely with other relevant agencies to minimise inconveniences to residents in the vicinity, and ensure that public safety is not compromised. But the scale of the PLAB relocation will from time to time cause some inconvenience and even disruption for affected parties. I hope that Singaporeans will bear with these inconveniences as we improve our city dramatically and that Members of Parliament (MPs) here will help their residents understand these changes.    

Let me first elaborate on measures to mitigate the noise inconvenience around air bases. First, we have moved about 50% of our flying training overseas. The remaining 50% of flying training is done locally, and is judged necessary for the RSAF to maintain its operational readiness and responsiveness to safeguard our skies here.

Secondly, most of the local flying training is conducted over waters rather than over land. When the RSAF flies over populated areas, it is primarily for taking off and landing only. The RSAF deliberately flies at higher altitudes and lower air speeds when over land, so as to minimise noise to housing estates. Any deviations from these are usually for operational reasons.

Where it is possible and does not compromise operational effectiveness, the RSAF does adjust its flying schedule in response to public feedback. For example, the RSAF reduces flying activities and cease night flying earlier during examination periods so that our students can better concentrate and rest well. So Ministry of Education (MOE) is very grateful too. The RSAF will inform the public of periods where the frequency of flights is increased, such as rehearsals for the National Day Parade and events like the RSAF Open House. The RSAF will publish prior notice on the MINDEF website for public awareness.

For the Tengah Air Base (TAB) expansion, Government agencies like the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and National Environment Agency (NEA) are aware of the noise environment that surrounding homes, offices and other premises will be subjected to. A noise study was conducted by NEA which will guide the planning of new residential developments to minimise the impact of aircraft noise upfront. But we ought to be fair to residents who are moving into new premises built near the expanded TAB and let them know that while some noise reduction can be achieved through mitigation measures,  it is not possible to reduce it completely.

Next, let me elaborate on how public safety remains a top priority for MINDEF and the RSAF. Our air bases and flight profiles are carefully designed to adhere to international norms, such as those prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. These norms govern the minimum flying altitudes to ensure the safety of residents living in close proximity to air bases or civilian airports in densely-populated cities.

The RSAF imposes stringent training requirements to ensure that our pilots are well trained and flying operations are conducted safely. Our pilots are trained to handle a wide range of operational scenarios through live and simulator training. They are also trained to steer away from the populace to minimise harm to civilians in the event of an emergency, even at the expense of their own safety. Singaporeans can therefore be assured that flying training and operations will continue to be done safely when TAB is expanded.

As we relocate PLAB to Changi Air Base (CAB) and TAB, the RSAF will continue to regularly engage residents living near the air bases and continue to explore new ways to minimise the inconveniences to public while meeting its operational and training requirements.