Aviation heavyweights IAG, easyJet and Ryanair bore the brunt of a global risk-off on gloomy stock markets as the terror attacks in Catalonia and US president Donald Trump’s unravelling economic plan sent equities across Europe sliding.

British Airways-owner IAG fell hardest in the tourism sector, stumbling 12.5p to 611.5p, with the aviation giant particularly exposed to events in Spain through its airline Iberia and its new long-haul carrier Level, which only operates out of Barcelona.

No-frills carriers easyJet and Ryanair tumbled over 3pc in intraday trade due to their reliance on flights to the Spanish coast before paring some losses to drop 11p to £12.90 and €0.31 to €18.60, respectively.

Elsewhere in the tourism sector, cruise ship operator Carnival shed 64p to £52.90 while InterContinental Hotels Group slumped 64p to £39.24.

Investor sentiment was weakened overnight after Mr Trump dumped the Advisory Council on Infrastructure tasked with helping to implement his keystone $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan with rumours also swirling that his chief economic adviser Gary Cohn had resigned.

Although the later was later denied, concerns mounted that the rogue president lacks the political capital to push through growth drivers such as deregulation and tax reforms. With Mr Trump’s expected stimulus plans underpinning the rally on stock markets since his election, equities globally retreated on fears that his economic agenda is crumbling.