Millions of customers have been affected by a major cyber attack on Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports.
Around 8.7 million customers are reportedly affected after an unauthorised third party gained access to information connected with airport car parking, lounge and Fast Track bookings, as well as on-airport Wi-Fi sign-ups.
The information accessed includes email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations and postcodes. MAG says no bank or payment details were held on the affected system.
MAG is contacting affected customers by email.
What has Manchester Airports Group said?
MAG became aware of the cyber security incident on Tuesday 25 August, although reports suggest the unauthorised access may have taken place several days earlier.
In an email sent to affected customers, seen by Join the Claim, MAG confirmed that personal information linked to airport services had been accessed by an unauthorised third party.
The group said the affected information could include:
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Vehicle registration numbers
- Postcodes
MAG stressed that neither it nor the affected system holds customers’ bank or payment details.
It said it had taken immediate action to secure the affected system and was working with cyber security specialists and the relevant authorities.
The group has also said passenger safety and aviation security were not compromised and that the incident has not disrupted airport operations. Existing bookings remain valid.
Which airports are affected?
The incident involves customer information connected with services at:
- Manchester Airport
- London Stansted Airport
- East Midlands Airport
The data relates to people who used services including airport parking, lounges, Fast Track and airport Wi-Fi.
MAG reportedly said that for the vast majority of affected customers, the information accessed was limited to their email address.
However, some customers have been told that other details, including phone numbers, vehicle registrations and postcodes, were also involved.
What should affected customers do?
MAG says customers do not need to take any specific action at this stage, but has urged people to be particularly cautious about unexpected emails, phone calls and text messages.
That is important because information exposed in a data breach can sometimes be used to make scam messages appear more convincing.
For example, a fraudster who knows that you recently used airport parking or Fast Track may be able to make a phishing email look more believable.
Be wary of anyone contacting you unexpectedly and claiming to be from Manchester Airports Group or one of its airports, particularly if they ask you to make a payment, provide banking details or click a link.
MAG says it will never contact customers unexpectedly to ask for payment or banking information.
You can find out more on how to keep safe following a data breach in our handy guide.
Could you claim compensation following the MAG data breach?
Being included in a data breach does not automatically mean you are entitled to compensation. However, people may be able to seek compensation where an organisation has broken data protection law and they have suffered damage as a result. This can include financial loss or, in some circumstances, distress.
If you have received an email confirming that your information was affected, it is worth keeping a copy of it, along with any further correspondence you receive about the incident. This may be useful if a compensation claim is launched.
For affected customers, the most important step for now is to remain alert to suspicious communications and keep any notification received from MAG.
We’ll be adding more information about the MAG cyber attack to our site soon, including details on how you can sign up for updates as the situation develops.
Join the Claim connects consumers with SRA-regulated lawyers. Visit the claim page to check your eligibility if a claim is open with one of our trusted legal partners. If a group action has not yet been launched, you can register your interest and we’ll keep you informed if a partner firm decides to take a claim forward.
