Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said reducing air departure tax - which will replace air passenger duty in Scotland - was "no longer compatible" with its climate targets. Mr Mackay added: "All parts of government and society have a contribution to make to meeting this challenge. We continue to support our tourism industry, which is going from strength to strength, and we will work with the sector to develop in a sustainable way. We welcome their efforts - and those of the aviation industry - to reduce carbon emissions."
The announcement was criticised by Gordon Dewar, the chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, who said: "We've gone from personal commitments to all-out cancellation in the space of just two weeks, which shows just how reactionary this decision is. It does not show leadership and means airports and airlines have been led down a path of failed promises for three years by this Scottish government. It also raises questions about continued support for our tourism sector when airlines have already walked away from Scotland due to this failure to deliver."
Scottish government scraps air tax cut