The affected airports are Manchester, East Midlands and London Stansted, all operated by MAG, BBC reported.
The airport group said hackers accessed customer contact information, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes over the weekend. Most of the compromised information consisted of email addresses collected when passengers signed up for airport Wi-Fi.
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More detailed information, including vehicle registration numbers, was obtained from customers who booked airport parking, lounges and fast-track services.
MAG said the breached system did not contain customers’ banking or payment information and stressed that passenger safety and aviation security were not compromised.
The company said it discovered the incident on Tuesday and quickly blocked further unauthorized access.
“We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisors and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems,” MAG said.
The group has notified affected customers and reported the incident to relevant authorities. It also confirmed that the attackers had demanded a ransom, although it did not disclose the amount and said it refused to pay.
Customers have been urged to remain alert for suspicious emails, text messages and phone calls, particularly those attempting to exploit the stolen information.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) confirmed that it had received a breach report from MAG and was assessing the incident.
One affected customer, 71-year-old Michael Goddard from Cheshire, told BBC Radio Manchester that he was concerned about what criminals could do with his personal information.
“To find your personal info has been stolen – it is alarming,” he said.
Goddard said he and his wife had received notifications from MAG after using East Midlands Airport and Manchester Airport’s parking services.
The incident highlights the potential risks facing millions of airport customers whose information is collected through services such as Wi-Fi registration, parking and fast-track bookings.
