The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has brought a new runway into service at Changi East, with Runway 03/21 becoming operational from Sept. 17 1600UTC, (0000hrs, Sept. 18 local time), according to an AIP Supplement published by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).
The 3,660m (12,008ft) by 60m (197ft) runway, oriented on a 023°/203° bearing, is equipped with a full instrument landing system, precision approach radar, and CAT I approach lighting, positioning it as a fully capable dual-use military airfield. The runway will be used primarily for military aircraft, including fighter jets, and is fitted with a net arrestor barrier and hookwire cables at both ends to support high-speed recovery of fighter aircraft. Satellite imagery of the Runway 21 threshold shows the barrier installation in place across the runway width, consistent with the AIP’s stated location roughly 40m beyond the threshold. Further inboard, imagery of the hookwire installation shows the retractable cable system in place across the runway, with retriever units positioned at both runway edges to house the cable reel and tensioning mechanism. The net barrier serves as a catching device for aircraft not equipped with a tailhook, or as additional redundancy for those that are. According to the aerodrome chart, the hookwire cables are installed 490m inward from each runway threshold, while the arrestor barriers sit closer in, roughly 40m beyond each threshold at the runway ends.
Runway 03/21 connects to the wider Changi East taxiway network via Taxiway Y10, which links the runway complex to Apron D, used to park the RSAF’s Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet, situated west of the runway between the MA and MY taxiway systems. The aerodrome chart shows eight taxiway accesses along the runway, designated MA1 through MA8, connecting the runway to the parallel MA taxiway. Satellite imagery shows a new air traffic control tower under construction adjacent to Taxiway MA4; however, as the imagery predates the runway’s Sept 17 operational date and a functioning tower would be a prerequisite for active flight operations, the tower is presumed to have been completed by the time Runway 03/21 entered service.
Satellite imagery also shows two hardened aircraft shelter (HAS)-type structures under construction near the runway, each featuring the angular, earth-covered revetment design characteristic of shelters built for rapid launch and protection of fighter aircraft on alert postures. The two shelters are linked to the runway via Taxiway MA7 and Taxiway MA2 respectively. While their specific purpose has not been officially confirmed, their layout and locations closely resemble the hardened shelter used for Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) fighters at Paya Lebar air base, suggesting Changi East’s new runway infrastructure may support rapid-response fighter operations in addition to routine training and transport flying.
Despite its capability, the runway remains restricted from civil use: it is not available except with prior coordination, CAAS said in the AIP. It is operated by the RSAF and administered through Changi Airbase (East), and supports both IFR and VFR traffic.
Runway 03/21 sits alongside Singapore Changi Airport’s existing runway system, comprising 02L/20R, 02C/20C, and 02R/20L, within the shared Changi Control Zone, according to the supplement’s location annex. Air traffic services for the new runway are provided by Changi Air Base (East) operating between 2300 to 1100 UTC from Sunday/Monday through Thursday/Friday.
The opening of 03/21 comes as CAAS prepares to fully close the adjacent runway, 02R/20L, for an extended period. A separate AIP Supplement confirms that Runway 02R/20L will be shut to all aircraft operations from Oct. 1, 2026 through Apr. 14, 2027, with approach and runway lighting deactivated and the runway marked with yellow closed markings and flashing lights at both ends for the duration. With Runway 02R/20L offline, the RSAF’s Airbus A330 MRTT fleet, normally parked at Apron D and uses Runway 02R/20L via Taxiway Y10, will need to shift its runway operations to Runway 03/21 from October onwards.
The expansion at Changi East forms part of a long-planned relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base, which the Singapore government first announced in 2013 and has said will be completed from the 2030s onwards, freeing up roughly 800 hectares of land in central-eastern Singapore for a new housing and commercial district. Runway 02R/20L, the civil runway now being closed from Oct. 1, 2026, was itself originally built as a military runway measuring roughly 2,748 metres, before being lengthened to 4km and connected via new taxiways to the rest of Changi Airport to support the airport’s growth and the future Terminal 5. Runway 03/21, by contrast, is a newly built, purpose-built military runway solely for RSAF use, distinct from the civil-military dual-use model applied to Runway 02R/20L, and its opening reflects Paya Lebar’s airbase relocation timeline running in parallel with the Changi airport’s expansion.
SG-eSUP-AIRAC-2026-152 SG-eSUP-AIRAC-2026-171 Locations of WSAC Runway 0321 and WSSS Runways 02L20R, 02C20C and 02R20L – Annex A.pdf Aerodrome Chart – WSAC Changi (RSAF) – Annex B