SINGAPORE - Scoot flights will take off from Changi Airport Terminal 1 instead of Terminal 2 from the later half of October.

The airline said last year it would move its operations to T1 in the last quarter of this year but did not specify a date.

In an e-mail to trade partners and a notice put up on its FlyScoot website this month, it confirmed that this will take place on Oct 22.

All but seven Scoot flights will depart from T1 that day. The first - Flight TR100 bound for Guangzhou - will take off at 5.15am.

Check-in counters for Scoot will be located at rows five to seven in the T1 departure hall.

All Scoot flights arriving at Changi Airport on Oct 22 will land at T1. The flight schedule for all flights will remain unchanged despite the move.

In response to queries, Scoot and Changi Airport Group (CAG) confirmed the news of the relocation and said the details are being finalised.

Said Scoot's chief executive officer Lee Lik Hsin: "With the move, we hope to encourage more customers to use the expanded self-service facilities, to enjoy a quicker and more seamless check-in process."

Mr Jayson Goh, managing director of Airport Operations Management at CAG, said it works closely with airline partners to ensure that they have sufficient space to operate and grow at Changi.

CAG conducts regular reviews on the allocation of airlines across terminals to ensure that the space is aligned with the airlines' growth plans, Mr Goh added.

In a joint statement with Scoot announcing the move to T1 last year, Changi Airport said that it has been working to expand the terminal's passenger handling capacity, with the project expected to be completed this year.

Upgrading works to T1 have been ongoing for the past five years, which resulted in expanded overall floor space and an increased capacity to handle three million more passengers a year.

The increased capacity comes mainly from the addition of more self-service check-in kiosks as well as bag drop machines.

The T1 arrival hall is now also integrated with the first level of Jewel Changi Airport.

IT consultant Toh Donson, 25, who flies on Scoot about once a year, considers easier access to Jewel to be the main positive of the move.

But he said he still prefers check-in counters because the automated bag drop machines "sometimes have problems detecting the luggage tags".

Scoot's relocation to T1 could help facilitate upgrading works at T2.

The multimillion-dollar facelift will start in the last quarter of this year, and will take four or five years to complete.

It will boost Changi Airport's total handling capacity by up to five million passengers a year to about 90 million.

Terminal information on Scoot flights departing and arriving on Oct 22 will be available at changiairport.com and the iChangi app.

All Scoot customers will be progressively updated from late July.