A cyber security breach at London Stansted Airport that exposed the personal details of millions of passengers could also impact Canada travellers who use the hub. London Stansted Airport has been hit by a "cyber security incident" in which the data of millions of customers was accessed.
London Stansted Airport breach
Manchester Airports Group said that "at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised" during the incident, and neither MAG nor the system hacked held customers' bank or payment details.
Passengers from Manchester Airport and East Midlands Airport also had their data accessed in the attack.
In total the data of about 8.7 million customers was accessed.
It is understood that the majority of the data accessed was restricted to customer email addresses and related to wifi sign‑ups within the airports' terminals.
Phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes were also accessed during the hack, the company said, while operations at all three airports remained "unaffected".
Impact on passengers
Canada and the United States share close air travel links with the United Kingdom, and many North American passengers transit through these airports each year. The incident underscores the importance of robust data protection for airlines and airports that serve Canadian and American customers. Canadian privacy regulators have previously warned about similar risks, and this breach may prompt further scrutiny.
More than 30 million flew into or out of Stansted last year, while more than 32 million passengers travelled through Manchester Airport, and four million through East Midlands Airport in Leicestershire.
In an email to customers, London Stansted Airport said: "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."
A MAG spokesperson said: "Manchester Airports group has been subject to a cyber security 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. 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."
"Neither MAG nor the system accessed hold customers' bank or payment details. The data that has been accessed includes customers' email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations and postcodes. We would like to reassure customers that Manchester Airports Group takes the security of customer information extremely seriously and we apologise for any inconvenience or concern caused."