Paya Lebar Airbase Best Spot for Trump, Kim Planes: Experts

The Straits Times

05 June 2018

Air Force One, with US President Donald Trump on board, will likely land at Paya Lebar Airbase (PLAB) when he arrives in Singapore for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

It could also well be the most secure place for Mr Kim’s Soviet-made Ilyushin-62 aircraft to land on his arrival.

Security experts point to PLAB’s secure facility and the fact that it hosted past United States presidents and other VIPs who visited Singapore as the reason it will get the nod ahead of Changi or even Seletar airports.

Dr Bilveer Singh, senior adjunct fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said Mr Kim may also land at PLAB in his Ilyushin-62 long-range aircraft.

“It is also important to note that we are dealing with two leaders and states that are paranoid about security,” he said.

“The reason the summit is being held here in the first place is partly because they are confident that Singapore can and will offer 101 per cent security. If this is the key consideration, landing at Paya Lebar is the best option.”

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