The Manchester Airports Group, which includes East Midlands, Manchester, and London Stansted airports, has been hit by a cyber-attack which stole the personal information of about 8.7 million people who used its airports.

The data breach affected a range of airport services, including parking, lounge and fast track bookings,  and the Wi-Fi network. While it did not include payment of bank details, the breach did include personally identifiable information, such as email addresses, post codes, phone numbers, and licence plate numbers.

The airport group said that the data breach has not lead to any disruptions to its operations, and upcoming bookings are not affected.

While most services are not affected, the Manage My Booking service for the airports is offline.

Manchester Airports Group said that a unnamed threat actor was behind the data breach, but it remains unclear if the group is the victim of a ransomware gang or of any extortion related to the breach.

According to an email sent to passengers from the Airport Group as seen by Computer Weekly, customers need not take any further action to secure their details, but it did suggest customers take heed on unexpected messages or emails claiming to be from the company.

“We would like to reassure customers that Manchester Airport Group takes the security of customer information extremely seriously and we apologise for any inconvenience or concern caused,” Manchester Airport Group said.

Commenting on the Manchester Airports Group cyberattack, Dhruva Pudel, Head of Cybersecurity at compliance and training provider, Skillcast, said: “The cyberattack at Manchester Airports Group (MAG) is a stark reminder that UK organisations face an increasingly hostile threat landscape and even our most established infrastructure providers are firmly in the crosshairs.

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“While MAG ensured flight operations remained unaffected, an incident of this magnitude highlights the far-reaching operational friction and disruption a data breach can cause behind the scenes.

“This incident can’t be viewed in isolation. As cyber threats grow in both frequency and sophistication, Britain’s infrastructure is facing relentless pressure from highly coordinated attacks.

“Hostile actors rarely need brute force to breach systems, instead exploiting minor policy gaps or simple human error. Technological firewalls are essential safeguards, but rigid cyber policies are only as strong as the people executing them.

“True corporation-wide cyber resilience calls for security measures and practices to be embedded into everyday culture. Organisations must continuously train staff so that every employee feels equipped to identify threats and report possible vulnerabilities.

“In an era where sophisticated cyber threats are a very real business concern, a vigilant and well-drilled workforce continues to be a business’s most vital line of defence.”