A Scottish airport has expressed its "disappointment" after an airline axed all its flights from its future schedule and ended the partnership.

However, the carrier not only exited Scotland's busiest air hub, it also took its business down the road to its nearest airport rival.

Wizz Air, which first launched from Edinburgh Airport in 2019, is to end its flights from the Scottish capital to Budapest in Hungary, Bucharest in Romania, and Gdansk in Poland.

The operator is switching its Budapest and Bucharest flights from Edinburgh to Glasgow Airport, starting next month.

The Herald also earlier revealed the Hungary-based airline was pulling its planned Edinburgh winter link to Tirana in Albania.

While the loss of the airline is lamented in the east, the move is unsurprisingly  welcomed in the west.

The Herald: Wizz Air claims to be Europe's fastest-growing airlineWizz Air claims to be Europe's fastest-growing airline (Image: Getty Images)

It is not on the same scale, but it is nonetheless a shift of business like Ryanair's closure of its Glasgow base in 2018 when it  moved one aircraft and five routes from Glasgow to its rival Edinburgh and then added 11 further routes to its roster in the Scottish capital.

We don't know the reason behind the Wizz Air change, but Ryanair cited the Scottish Government's stance on Air Passenger Duty tax as the motivation for its earlier move.

The Wizz Air switch adds a further airline to Glasgow's 15 and leaves Edinburgh with 36. 

The carrier increased passenger numbers by 25% to 15.3 million in the three months to June 30, compared with 12.2m the previous year.

A total of 11.2m people travelled through Edinburgh Airport in 2022, up from 3m in 2021, while 6.5m passengers used Glasgow Airport in 2022 compared to 2m the year before.

Edinburgh Airport points out the Wizz Air routes it has lost will be covered by another airline, including Tirana.

"Although it is always disappointing to lose a valued airline partner, routes to Budapest, Bucharest and Gdansk continue to be well served by Ryanair," the airport said. "This ensures continuity of service for passengers travelling from Edinburgh to these fantastic cities."

Meanwhile, Matt Hazelwood, of Glasgow's owner, AGS Airports, said: “Wizz Air’s return to Glasgow is fantastic news, offering two sensational destinations in central and eastern Europe."

It comes as national flag carrier Turkish Airlines earlier named Glasgow as a future international flights connection in another potential boost for the city airport.

Also in the Scottish capital, a major new hotel is planned for prestigious city centre site, business editor Ian McConnell wrote this week.

Dalata Hotel Group plans to open a new 153-bedroom hotel. Ireland's largest hotel operator has acquired a development site in St Andrew Square in Edinburgh for £12.5 million from Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited.

Dalata revealed the overall investment in the project, including the site purchase, would be around £48 million.

Still in the key hospitality sector, a Texas hotelier has completed the luxury renovation of an estate in Angus after more than two years of delays caused by the pandemic, business correspondent Kristy Dorsey wrote.

Their story reveals Archie and June Bennett completed the purchase of Auchavan Estate in the Angus Glens in the same week the world locked down in 2020. 

There was a toast from deputy business editor Scott Wright as one of Scotland’s biggest Scotch whisky distillers announced it is to establish production on Islay for the first time. Chivas Brothers have unveiled plans to build a distillery at Gartbreck Farm.