British Airways leads FTSE 100, travel shares higher

European equities markets were up Friday on gains for airlines, retailers and carmakers after crude oil prices resumed their declines. In London, the FTSE 100 added 0.21 percent to 5,489.2 while the FTSE 250 gained 1.25 percent to 9,201.9. Travel-related shares gained with the drop in oil prices, with British Airways (LSE: BAY; NYSE: BAB) leading the way on the 100 as it added 8.14 percent, while Thomas Cook (LSE: TCG.L) was up 7.72 percent and TUI Travel (LSE: TT) gained 7.71 percent. Elsewhere in Europe, the FTSE Eurofirst 300 was up 0.65 percent to 1,197.85 while the Dax was 0.28 percent higher to 6,561.65, the IBEX added 0.7 percent to 11,799.9 and the CAC-40 gained 0.77 percent to 4,491.85. Equities markets in the Asia-Pacific region were mixed on the session as some markets saw gains but China’s markets saw big declines... [read full story]