British Airways owner IAG fell 4% to a two-and-a-half-year low and easyJet  dropped 2.6%. HSBC downgraded the stocks after German airline Lufthansa's profit warning this month.

"We are increasingly cautious towards European airlines ... expect many will follow Lufthansa's profit warning," HSBC analysts wrote. They also forecast weakness in long haul and corporate travel demand in Europe.

The FTSE 100 index was 0.3% lower by 0811 GMT, giving up gains from Tuesday along with other European markets after a dovish policy speech by European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi. The FTSE 250 midcap index was down 0.2%.

Online takeaway service Just Eat also slipped 2.4% after a rating cut by UBS.

British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands and Diageo, which get a chunk of their revenue in U.S. dollars, weakened as sterling recovered from five-month lows.

Berkeley fell 2% after reporting a drop in earnings. Rivals Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon and Barratt also fell.

"Today's results reflect the gradual cooling of the company's performance," wrote CMC Markets analyst David Madden.

Among midcaps, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group  climbed 3.7% after raising its target for cost savings related to its takeover of Virgin Money.

Insurance and tourism firm Saga slumped 7.3% to a record low after warning that its tour operations were still being undercut by political uncertainty in the UK.

Contractor Kier Group jumped 10%, adding to gains from last session, after being hammered this month over a profit warning and restructuring plans.