Sengkang resident complains of ‘frustrating’ fighter jet noise, others share same concerns

Sengkang resident says he heard five to six fighter jets flying past in half an hour

While Sengkang is a popular estate to live in, residents often face the constant noise of fighter jets flying overhead, which some find disruptive.

One such resident voiced his frustrations on XiaoHongShu on 27 Sept, sparking a wave of responses from others in the area who experience similar disturbances.

Fighter jets disrupt resident’s work-from-home routine

In his post, the resident shared that he had recently moved to Sengkang and works from home.

However, his productivity has been impacted by the “very noisy” fighter jets, which flew over his home five to six times within just 30 minutes.

The noise is evident in a 1.5-minute video he uploaded, showing the jets’ sounds overpowering his workspace.

Neighbour’s unit undergoing renovation at the same time

To make matters worse, a neighbour’s unit is undergoing renovations, amplifying the noise pollution.

If this goes on, he won’t be able to take part in any Zoom meetings, he said, adding:

What’s going on… is this a real-life version of PUBG: Battlegrounds?

He was referencing the popular battle royale video game.

The resident questioned if other Sengkang residents shared his experience or if other areas were similarly affected.

Other residents voice their own noise concerns

The post drew comments from other Sengkang residents who commiserated with him. One Sengkang resident shared that the noise begins as early as 8am, waking her up.

A resident of 10 years, who also works from home, said the noise has been “especially bad” lately. He expressed sympathy for students preparing for exams and lamented that he’d need to wait until his child finishes PSLE before considering a move.

A former resident of Punggol said they had to move out as they couldn’t stand the noise.

Another Punggol resident remarked that she’s already used to the noise.

In Paya Lebar, the sound of fighter jets has almost made him deaf, a resident said.

But the original poster replied that the situation might improve after Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) moves.

Questions about fighter jet noise brought up in Parliament

The sound of fighter jets prompted Sengkang MP Jamus Lim to raise a question in Parliament about it.

In July 2023, he asked Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen “whether there are alternative flight paths for jets taking off from Paya Lebar Airbase that do not require flying over Sengkang and Punggol”.

Dr Ng replied that the flight path of Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) jets taking off from PLAB has been designed with population safety and airspace constraints in mind, saying:

Any alternative departure flight path from PLAB would incur higher population safety risk at take off, or enter the airspace of our neighbour or around our airports.

In September 2023, Dr Lim returned to this topic in Parliament, asking Dr Ng ” whether the RSAF has conducted research on modifying combat aircraft with fin-lined nozzles to reduce noise pollution from overflights”.

The minister replied that no aircraft or aircraft engine manufacturers have certified or successfully incorporated the use of such nozzles into their engine design, saying:

The RSAF will continue to monitor the development of this and other technologies, and evidence of their ability to also meet operational requirements in a cost-effective way.

PLAB will be relocated from the 2030s onwards, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), so residents in Sengkang and Punggol will have to bear with the noise for at least six years more.

Also read: Sengkang Resident Plays Chants Loudly Throughout The Day, Neighbours Complain Of Noise

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Featured image adapted from Alson志豪 on XiaoHongShu and The Republic of Singapore Air Force on Facebook.