Privacy News Three UK airports hit by cyber-attack with data of 8.7m customers accessed

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Content source

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/27/uk-airports-operator-cyber-attack-customer-data-accessed

Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports have been hit by a cyber-attack in which hackers accessed the data of about 8.7 million customers.

The incident involved data related to “car park, lounge and fast-track bookings and in-airport wifi sign-ups”, and the hackers obtained email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes, said Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which operates the three hubs.

The company said that “at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised” during the incident and operations at the airports were unaffected. The hacked system did not hold customers’ bank or payment details.

Read more:

Three UK airports hit by cyber-attack with data of 8.7m customers accessed

Company that runs Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands hubs says passenger safety is unaffected

www.theguardian.com

 

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Read more:

Three UK airports hit by cyber-attack with data of 8.7m customers accessed

Company that runs Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands hubs says passenger safety is unaffected

www.theguardian.com

Potential impact for affected customers

If the report is accurate, the exposed information appears to include contact details, vehicle registration numbers, postcodes, and booking-related information. Although payment details were reportedly not stored in the affected system, this data could still be useful for targeted phishing or impersonation attempts.

Affected customers should:

• Be cautious of unexpected emails, text messages, or calls claiming to be from MAG, an airport, an airline, or a booking provider.
• Avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages and access accounts through official websites or apps instead.
• Not provide passwords, one-time verification codes, or payment information in response to an unexpected request.
• Change any reused password associated with the affected booking or account, and enable multifactor authentication where available.
• Monitor booking accounts and financial statements for unusual activity, even though payment details were reportedly not involved.
• Verify any follow-up notification through Manchester Airports Group’s official website or an independently obtained contact route.

The statement that aviation operations and passenger safety were unaffected does not mean there is no privacy or phishing risk. The exact scope and number of affected individuals should be confirmed through MAG’s official incident communications and any relevant regulatory notices.

Three UK airports hit by cyber-attack with data of 8.7m customers accessed