Airlines lifted the FTSE 100 Index higher as it gained ground after a dramatic sell-off in the previous session and despite more poor economic news from China.
British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) led the risers' board as it climbed almost five per cent on a positive broker note, with low-cost rival easyJet also strongly ahead.
The wider top-flight index rose 96.4 points to 6032.2, or nearly two per cent, with virtually all stocks rising. It had tumbled nearly three per cent on Tuesday to take it below the 6000-mark.
Germany's Dax and France's Cac 40 were also both up by just under one per cent after sharp falls amid a toxic cocktail of fears over China and the wider global economy, slumping commodity prices and Volkswagen's emissions scandal.
However, in New York the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down more than 50 points in early trading.
The recovery in London in this session came in spite of a closely watched activity index for China's manufacturing sector slumping to its lowest level in six and a half years, which prompted falls in Asian markets overnight.
Weakness in the world's second biggest economy has weighed on the prospects of interest rate rises. The latest data saw the pound fall by a cent against the US dollar to 1.52 and by a cent against the euro to just under 1.37.
In London shares, IAG was boosted by a note from Morgan Stanley lifting its target price and upgrading its earnings forecast after brokers assessed the impacts of falling oil prices, currency movements and its acquisition of Aer Lingus.
The stock added 27p to 594p while easyJet rose more than three per cent, or 59p, at 1759p.
Meanwhile miners made gains after being heavily hit in the previous session, led by Glencore - up almost three per cent, or 2.8p, to 109.1p.
Engineer Smiths Group was also in favour, up 10p to 1039p after it said better margins helped its profit to edge higher in the year to the end of July, despite revenue falling.
BBA Aviation is buying US rival jet charter group Landmark in a £1.3bn proposed deal. BBA said it would merge Landmark, owned by private equity firm Carlyle, with its Signature Flight Support business, boosting its business jet terminals worldwide from 133 to 194. BBA will fund the deal through a £748 million cash call to investors. Shares were up 1p to 285.7p.
Platinum metals company Johnson Matthey, the world's largest supplier of vehicle catalytic converters, recovered after being hit by the escalating Volkswagen scandal. Shares climbed 60p to 2378p.
Water firm United Utilities was up more than one despite revealing a £25 million profits hit after it had to pay out compensation to hundreds of thousands of customers affected by contamination in Lancashire.
The group said in a trading update that underlying operating profit for the first half would be in line with expectations. Shares rose 13p to 889.5p.
Online holiday firm On the Beach climbed strongly as it made its stock market debut in an initial public offering valuing the business at £240 million. Shares jumped 5.5p to 205p.
The biggest risers in the FTSE 100 Index were International Airlines Group, Coca-Cola HBC up 62p at 1401p, Carnival up 134p at 3467p, and easyJet up 59p at 1759p.
There were only three fallers in the FTSE 100 Index - Rolls-Royce down 6p at 679.5p, Standard Chartered down 5.2p at 667.8p, and RSA Insurance down 2.5p at 403.7p.
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