Paya Lebar Air Base Paya Lebar Air Base ( Simplified Chinese : 巴耶利峇空军基地 ; ) is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force located at Paya Lebar , in the central - eastern part of Singapore , the airbase goes by the motto of " " Strength Through Readiness " " . Originally built in 1955 as " Singapore International Airport " to replace Kallang Airport , control of the airport was transferred to RSAF in 1980 when it was promptly renamed as Paya Lebar Air Base following the relocation of the civilian airport to Changi . History . It was a hub for Malayan Airways at this time ( the other being Kuala Lumpur ) , and the airline had its first flight outside Southeast Asia in 1958 , using a DC - 4 leased from Qantas , flying to Hong Kong . Turboprops were introduced over the next few years , and the name was changed to Malaysian Airways . In 1962 a joint RAF / Singapore civil Air Traffic Control service was formed to provide Military cover for Air Defence . During that time Britannia aircraft of British Eagle provided transport for UK military . Comet 4C ' s were common traffic and the new VC10 arrived reducing flight time , ( using UK and Singapore time it was theoretically possible to land before it had taken off ) rather than the 24hrs - with stops - of the Britannia . In 1966 , the company focused more on Singapore , buying Boeing 707s , headquartering itself in that country , and renaming itself Malaysia - Singapore Airlines - with a notable fluorescent yellow livery . Its primary hub became Paya Lebar , and services began to reach out further into North Asia . From 1979 to 1980 , British Airways , in conjunction with Singapore Airlines , began supersonic Concorde services from London ' s Heathrow Airport , to Paya Lebar Singapore . Malaysia - Singapore Airlines was dissolved in 1972 ; Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines were formed - the latter keeping all the 707s ; and Singapore Airlines remained at Paya Lebar . But passenger numbers rose from 1 . 7 million to 4 million between 1970 and 1975 . The airport was constrained by housing estates and although some work was done to keep it operational in the meantime , construction began on the present Singapore International Airport at Changi in 1975 , opening in 1981 . Paya Lebar then closed to civil traffic , and Changi took over Paya Lebar ' s IATA code of SIN . Conversion to military use . Paya Lebar began to be gradually converted into a military air - force base from Late 1967 onwards . During that year , an " Air Movement Centre " was constructed to handle passengers and cargo arriving on Republic of Singapore Air Force flights , Ministry of Defence charter flights and foreign military aircraft . It became a complete military airbase in 1981 when Singapore Changi Airport was opened and was subsequently renamed as Paya Lebar Air Base ( PLAB ) on the same year . The air base currently houses aircraft such as the C - 130 Hercules and the upgraded AMRAAM capable F - 5S / T Tiger IIs . The Flying squadrons are : The Support Squadrons are : US presence . Besides being used by various flying units of United States Air Force and United States Navy ( including United States Marine Corps Aviation ) as a refuelling stopover and staging post / transit point , the base is also used permanently by the 497th Combat Training Squadron for other flight operations since 31 October 1991 . Air Force Museum . The RSAF maintains the Air Force Museum , which is open to the public and showcases the air force ' s history and capabilities . The museum is located along Airport Road beside the airbase . RSAF Open House . The RSAF Open House is a bi - annual event which is usually held at Paya Lebar Air Base and in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary of Republic of Singapore Air Force in 2008 , it was open to the public for two days from 30 August to 31 August 2008 . Also , the RSAF Black Knights was present for another aerobatic display to thrill the crowds . Legacy . The old passenger terminal building and control tower still stand , though they now house air force units and are off limits to the public . Nevertheless , much of the interior still remains intact and is almost completely preserved from the time it was first built . The road which used to lead to the old passenger terminal is also still known as Airport Road .