(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window) * FTSE 100 down 0.5%, FTSE 250 off 0.2% June 17 (Reuters) - Mining stocks knocked London’s FTSE 100 index off 16-month highs on Thursday as a hawkish turn by the Federal Reserve hit commodity prices, although Britain’s plans to ease travel restrictions allowed airline shares to buck the trend. The blue-chip index fell 0.5% and was on track for its biggest percentage fall in two weeks. Miners, fell nearly 2% as metal prices slipped after the U.S. Federal Reserve signalled an earlier-than-expected change in its broader policy. Large dollar-earning consumer staples companies Unilever , Diageo and Reckitt Benckiser Group fell between 0.6% and 0.8%. The domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index declined 0.2%. However, airlines including Wizz Air, Ryanair Holdings, British Airways-owner IAG and EasyJet Plc jumped between 2% and 3.3% after Britain said it was considering allowing those who are double vaccinated against COVID-19 to enjoy a foreign holiday without intrusive red tape. Premier Inn-owner Whitbread gained 4.6% after saying hotel bookings in its tourist locations picked up in the run-up to the summer travel season. (Reporting by Devik Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.