UK Airports Operator Cyber-Attack Exposes Data of 8.7 Million Customers
A cyber-attack on Manchester Airports Group accessed data of about 8.7 million customers across three UK airports, with no payment details or operational impact reported.
The company, which operates Manchester Airport, London Stansted and East Midlands airport, said that passenger safety and aviation security were never compromised during the incident. Neither Mag nor the system that was hacked held customers' bank or payment details.
Most of the data accessed was limited to customer email addresses related to wifi sign-ups in the airport terminals, the company said. Phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes were also accessed, while operations at all three airports remained unaffected.
In an email to customers, London Stansted Airport urged recipients to be particularly cautious of unexpected emails, calls or text messages claiming to be from the airport, and stressed that it would never contact customers unexpectedly to ask for payment or banking information.
A Mag spokesperson said the incident involved an unauthorized third party and that a quantity of customer data related to car park, lounge and fast track bookings and in-airport wifi sign-ups had been obtained. The risk was immediately contained, and the company has been working with specialist advisers and relevant authorities. The spokesperson confirmed there was no operational disruption and apologized for any inconvenience or concern.