Cyberattack on Manchester Airports Group exposes data of 8.7 million customers

Manchester Airports Group has said a cyberattack led to the theft of personal data belonging to about 8.7 million customers across its three airports: Manchester, London-Stansted and East Midlands.

The stolen information included email addresses, according to the operator, and in some cases postcodes, contact details and vehicle registration numbers. Most of the compromised data came from Wi-Fi login records collected in airport terminals.

Bank details and payment card information were not affected, MAG said. The company also stated that passenger safety and aviation security were not compromised by the breach.

The attackers reportedly demanded a ransom. The operator said it refused to pay. No further detail was given on the identity of the attackers or the method used to breach the systems.

MAG has not said how customers will be notified or whether regulators have been informed. Such incidents typically require disclosure to data protection authorities in the United Kingdom.