Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands airports were targeted by a cyberattack over the weekend before August 25, 2026, affecting approximately 8.7 million customers, Manchester Airports Group (MAG) revealed on August 27 [1, 2, 3, 4].
The breached data included email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers, and postcodes linked to car park, lounge, fast track bookings, and in-airport Wi-Fi sign-ups [1, 2, 3, 4]. MAG confirmed that no customer bank or payment details were stored in the compromised systems, and none were accessed during the attack [1, 2, 3, 4].
MAG discovered the breach on August 25 and acted immediately to contain the risk, engaging specialist advisers and authorities to assist with the investigation [2, 3, 1, 4]. A MAG spokesperson said, "At no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised" [3].
London Stansted Airport cautioned customers to remain vigilant against phishing attempts. It 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." [1]
The attack was carried out by an unauthorized third party, according to MAG [2, 4]. Despite the extensive data exposure, airport operations and passenger safety were unaffected [1, 2, 3, 4].
MAG continues to investigate the breach and strengthen security measures. The public announcement on August 27 marks the latest update as authorities and the airports coordinate their response to protect customers and prevent further incidents.
