A major cyberattack has targeted three of the United Kingdom’s busiest airports, with personal information belonging to approximately 8.7 million customers reportedly accessed by hackers.
The affected airports are Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands, all operated by Manchester Airports Group (MAG). British media reports say the breach exposed customer information connected to airport Wi-Fi registrations, car-parking bookings, lounge reservations and fast-track services.
The compromised information reportedly includes email addresses, telephone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes. However, MAG said sensitive financial information, including banking and payment details, was not affected. Passport information and passwords were also reportedly not compromised.
Despite the scale of the breach, there has been no reported impact on aviation safety or flight operations at the three airports. MAG said it detected suspicious activity, moved quickly to contain the incident and notified relevant authorities.
Reports indicate that the attackers demanded a ransom in exchange for the stolen information, but MAG declined to pay. The amount allegedly demanded has not been publicly disclosed.
Cybersecurity experts have warned affected passengers to remain vigilant for phishing emails, fraudulent text messages and suspicious calls, particularly those appearing to reference airport bookings or customer accounts.
The incident is now under investigation by British authorities, while MAG says it is working with cybersecurity specialists to strengthen its systems and protect customers.
The breach comes amid growing concerns over cyber threats targeting critical UK infrastructure and major businesses, raising fresh questions about the resilience of the country’s increasingly digital transport networks.