A Scottish airport owner has strengthened its relationship with a major airline after winning routes and flights previously operated by a rival.

It comes as Edinburgh Airport earlier this month expressed its disappointment when Wizz Air axed its Scottish capital routes in favour of operating services from Glasgow Airport, including flights to Budapest in Hungary and Bucharest in Romania.

After pulling its planned link to Tirana in Albania, Wizz Air quit Edinburgh altogether with the removal of its route to Gdansk in Poland.

Now owner AGS' other Scottish airport alongside Glasgow, Aberdeen, has won an upgraded service to Gdansk from three to four flights a week, as the airline is reported to be seeking to expand further.

The Herald: There is scope for expansion in ScotlandThere is scope for expansion in Scotland (Image: Getty Images)

Wizz Air also says it is Europe's fastest-growing and most environmentally sustainable airline globally.

Edinburgh is still covered for these destinations albeit with reduced competition, and is gaining elsewhere in what is a swings and roundabouts type of game.

However, it is interesting for AGS, according to one industry voice, that there is opportunity for growth in Glasgow and, reported Pazaser travel publication, reasons to be cheerful in Aberdeen.

I asked Sean Moulton, UK aviation analyst, and he said on the subject: "Edinburgh is very competitive with a large base with Ryanair who competed directly on both routes Wizz have moved over to Glasgow.

"With Glasgow not having a Ryanair base, they have a better chance of success and to carve their own market.

"At Aberdeen, the increase on the Gdansk route shows oil traffic is recovering and gives more choice for weekend city breaks to the Polish city."

Then there was a boost on the roundabouts for Edinburgh Airport this week, with business correspondent Kristy Dorsey reporting that JetBlue has chosen it for its first Scottish route from the US.

The airline will run a summer service from Edinburgh Airport to New York JFK from May to September next year.

"The addition of this route further enhances connectivity to North America out of Scotland’s busiest airport, with transatlantic capacity in 2023 up 51% on 2019 levels," she wrote, adding that Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: "It’s always a big moment when we welcome an airline to Edinburgh for the first time."

Seconds out, round two. State-backed NatWest Group, owner of Royal Bank of Scotland, was responsible for a "number of serious failings" in its treatment of Nigel Farage that led to the abrupt departure of former chief executive Dame Alison Rose in July.

"Dame Alison, you may recall, fell on her sword following an ill-advised conversation with the BBC business editor Simon Jack,” wrote Herald deputy business editor Scott Wright.

"It was the genesis of a saga which ultimately ended with the banker admitting to being the source of subsequent stories in the press concerning the accounts that the former UKIP leader Nigel Farage held with Coutts, the private bank owned by NatWest."

Meanwhile, a new tourism plan would see 20 new hotels built in Glasgow by 2025, senior reporter Caroline Wilson revealed.

"There is demand for more hotels in Glasgow, a tourism leader has said, with evidence visitors attending conferences want to ‘augment’ their experience with a longer stay," she wrote.

It is expected that of the additional new hotels planned for the city, more than half will be four or five stars. This would add to its two five-star hotels, the Kimpton Blythswood Square and Hotel du Vin.