Scottish Business Briefing - Monday 5 November, 2012 - Business - Scotsman.com Among the early entries for the Green Transport Prize, a collaboration between Edinburgh College, St Andrews University and Edinburgh Napier University, is a project based in Auckland, New Zealand (Scotsman) Ryanair profits jump on traffic and fare rises Low-frills airline Ryanair has reported a rise in profits thanks to an increase in both passenger numbers and fares. Net profit for the six months to the end of September was 596m euros ($765m; £477m), up 10% on the 544m euros the company made a year earlier (BBC). Scots economy "faces impact" of Clydesdale move CLYDESDALE Bank's withdrawal from commercial property lending will have a significant impact on the Scottish economy, a new action group has claimed. The bank last month offloaded £5.6 billion of loans to parent National Australia Bank (NAB) and businesses in Scotland are already being told that as soon as their loans mature, they will not be renewed (Scotsman). Bankier "sets rent record" with new shop on Piccadilly CELTIC chairman Ian Bankier has reportedly agreed to open a shop opposite the Ritz hotel on London's glamorous Piccadilly, setting a new rent record for the street. Bnkier, who is executive chairman and part owner of parent company Glenkeir Whiskies, already has 20 stores spread through out the UK, from Inverness down to Brighton (Scotsman). North Sea boom helps Aberdeen to weather storm in hotels sector THE boom in North Sea activity has helped Aberdeen's hotel sector outperform other cities that have been more exposed to the tough economic conditions facing much of the UK. PwC found Aberdeen's hotels enjoyed strong annual increases on revenue per available room and occupancy rates in the year to August, when the market in Glasgow and Edinburgh were mixed (Herald). Read all today's media and leisure news from scotsman.com Comet investors "will get £60m" despite collapse THE backers of Comet could emerge from the electrical retailer's collapse with up to £60 million, while 6,600 staff jobs remain at risk, it has been claimed. Idustry sources say OpCapita, the investor turnaround group that bought the distressed Comet for just £2 in February, is said to be in line to get the bulk of any proceeds raised through the company's liquidation following its plunge into administration on Friday (Scotsman).