Three major UK airports operated by Manchester Airports Group (MAG) have suffered a significant cybersecurity breach in which data belonging to approximately 8.7 million customers was accessed by unauthorised attackers. The incident, which was identified on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, exposed personal information including email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes. The company has stressed that passenger safety and aviation security remain unaffected, and that neither the airports' systems nor those of the attackers contained customers' bank or payment card details.
The three airports affected are Manchester Airport, London Stansted and East Midlands Airport. According to MAG, the compromised data relates primarily to customer sign-ups for wifi services within airport terminals, alongside booking information for car parks, lounges and Fast Track services. The company said in a statement:
"Manchester Airports group has been subject to a cybersecurity incident by an unauthorised third party. A quantity of customer data has been obtained that relates to car park, lounge and fast track bookings and in-airport wifi sign-ups at Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports."
MAG confirmed that it had immediately contained the risk and begun working with specialist advisers and relevant authorities following discovery of the breach. The company emphasised that airport operations have not been disrupted and that customer parking services continue to function normally across all three sites. According to reporting, evidence suggests the intrusion may have occurred several days before being identified.
This incident follows a broader pattern of cybersecurity breaches affecting UK organisations. In recent months, English National Ballet reported a data leak through its provider Beacon CRM, while the Department for Education in England suffered a cyber-attack resulting in the loss of approximately 607,000 records. The Manchester airports breach represents one of the largest customer data exposures in recent UK incidents by volume.
What data was exposed?
The majority of the accessed information was limited to customer email addresses collected during wifi registration at the airports' terminals. However, the breach also exposed phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes associated with customer accounts. More detailed personal data, including vehicle registrations, was obtained from customers who had booked car-park spaces, arranged access to lounges, or purchased fast-track services. Importantly, MAG confirmed that neither the company's systems nor those accessed by the attackers held any customers' bank details or payment card information, significantly limiting the potential for financial fraud.
How are customers being advised to protect themselves?
Customers have been warned to remain vigilant against fraudulent communications. London Stansted Airport issued guidance stating:
"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. We apologise for any inconvenience or concern this may cause."Affected customers are being warned to watch for phishing emails, calls and texts pretending to be from the airport group, with MAG advising that it will never request payment or banking information through unsolicited contact. Customers are also advised to avoid opening attachments from unknown contacts.
What assurances has the company provided?
MAG has stated that passenger safety and aviation security have not been compromised at any stage during the incident. The company's spokesperson said:
"We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisers and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems. We have informed and are working with the relevant authorities. At no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised. The incident has not resulted in any operational disruption. Airport operations remain unaffected and customer parking services continue to operate normally."The company added:
"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."
Key Facts
- Approximately 8.7 million customers across Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports had their data accessed in the breach
- Exposed information included email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes, but not bank or payment card details
- The breach was identified on 25 August 2026, with evidence suggesting the intrusion may have occurred several days earlier
- Airport operations and passenger safety have not been affected, and all three airports continue to function normally
- Customers are advised to remain alert for suspicious communications and to disregard any unsolicited requests for payment or banking information
