Manchester Airport Group (Mag) has confirmed that a cybersecurity incident has led to the unauthorized access of data belonging to approximately 8.7 million customers across three UK airports. The affected airports are Manchester Airport, London Stansted, and East Midlands airport.
In a statement, Mag emphasized that passenger safety and aviation security were not compromised during the incident. The company also clarified that neither Mag nor the compromised system held customers' bank or payment details.
Nature of the Data Breach
Most of the data accessed was restricted to customer email addresses, primarily related to wifi sign-ups in the terminals of the three airports. Additionally, phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers, and postcodes were also accessed, according to the company.
Mag assured that operations at all three airports remained unaffected by the incident. The company said it immediately contained the risk and has been working with specialist advisers to protect customers and systems.
Customer Advisory and Response
In an email to customers, London Stansted Airport urged vigilance against unexpected communications. The email stated: "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."
A Mag spokesperson said on Thursday: "Manchester Airports group has been subject to a cybersecurity 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."
Impact and Next Steps
The spokesperson added that the incident has not resulted in any operational disruption, and customer parking services continue to operate normally. Mag has informed and is working with the relevant authorities. The company reiterated that passenger safety and aviation security were never compromised.
Mag expressed regret over the incident, stating: "We would like to reassure customers that Manchester Airport Group takes the security of customer information extremely seriously and we apologise for any inconvenience or concern caused."
