Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which operates Manchester Airport, London Stansted and East Midlands, has been hit by a cyberattack that accessed data belonging to around 8.7 million customers.
The group became aware of the cyber security incident on Tuesday (August 25), with the breach believed to have occurred a few days earlier. Hackers accessed data relating to car park, lounge and fast track bookings and in-airport WIFI sign-ups for all three airports, according to Manchester Evening News.
What data was accessed
The compromised data includes customers' email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations and postcodes. Neither MAG nor the system accessed hold customers' bank or payment details, the group confirmed.
In a statement, a MAG spokesperson said: "Manchester Airports group has been subject to a cyber security incident by an unauthorised third party.
"A quantity of customer data has been obtained that relates to car park, lounge and Fast Track bookings and in-airport WIFI sign-ups at Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports. We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisors and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems."
Passenger safety unaffected
MAG stressed that at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised. The incident has not resulted in any operational disruption, and airport operations remain unaffected, with customer parking services continuing to operate normally.
All upcoming bookings remain valid and are unaffected by the incident. The group has informed and is working with the relevant authorities.
Advice to customers
Customers have been told they do not need to take any action and should "remain vigilant as normal for unsolicited emails and texts". MAG said it will never contact customers unexpectedly to request money.
"We would like to reassure you that Manchester Airport Group takes the security of customer information extremely seriously and we are taking appropriate actions to manage the incident. There is no action you need to take," the statement added.
"We would urge you to be particularly cautious of unexpected emails, calls or text messages claiming to be from us. We will never contact you unexpectedly to ask for payment or banking information. We apologise for any inconvenience or concern this may cause."
