Business

Manchester Airport releases statement after customer data stolen in ‘targeted’ cyber security attack

Data was stolen from 8.7 million customers.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 28th August 2026

Manchester Airport has released a formal statement after data was stolen from 8.7 million customers in a ‘targeted’ cyber security attack yesterday.

Manchester Airport Group (MAG) – which operates Manchester Airport, Stansted, and East Midlands Airport – said the cyber security incident happened at around 1pm yesterday (Thursday 27 August), and that the data seized from 8.7 million customers included email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations, and postcodes.

The data that was stolen related to car park, lounge and Fast Track bookings, and in-airport WiFi sign-ups, MAG stated.

It was initially confirmed that the system the hackers accessed did not hold customers’ bank or payment details, however, and that all other regular airport operations and customer parking continued uninterrupted.

Manchester Airport has now released a formal statement to reassure customers that they are taking the matter ‘extremely seriously’.

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The statement reads: “Manchester Airport 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.

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“We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisors and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems. We have informed and are working with the relevant authorities, and at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised.”

MAG insisted that the incident had not resulted in any ‘operational disruption’, adding: “Airport operations remain unaffected and customer parking services continue to operate normally.

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“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.

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“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.”

Featured Image – MAG

Business

Workers at major Manchester city centre hotel to strike this bank holiday weekend

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Workers at one of the most prominent hotels in Manchester city centre are set to strike this bank holiday weekend.

Workers at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel and its bar venue The Refuge, who are members of the union Unite, will take 24 hours of strike action on Saturday (29 August) in what is said to be a ‘long-running dispute’ over union busting.

The strike day chosen by the workers is the second day of this year’s Manchester Village Pride, and is historically the most lucrative day of the year for their employer.

This is because Kimpton Clocktower is located very close to the Pride Parade route, and for several years has been a very popular location for people attending the festival, and even runs a number of Pride events itself.

Unite says that for months now, workers at the Kimpton Clocktower – which is owned by InterContinental Hotels Group UK (IHG) – have been asking for formal union recognition to improve conditions after raising several issues with management, but IHG UK has refused this and instead ‘targeted’ the union for its actions.

Workers at a major Manchester city centre hotel are set to strike this bank holiday weekend / Credit: Rebecca Hope Photography (Supplied)

Previous strikes have already taken place this summer, apparently causing ‘financial hits’ to the business in the process – with the bar being forced to close early at several events as there were not enough staff to cover them.

“A strike on Kimpton’s most profitable day is entirely of its own making,” commented Unite regional officer, Alison Treacher. “Throughout this dispute, Kimpton Clocktower management have treated its loyal workforce with contempt and our members have shown they will not stand for it.

“There is still time to avoid this highly disruptive strike action, but that relies on IHG changing tack by listening to its members and giving them the union recognition they have long been calling for.”

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This dispute is said to be the first ever hospitality strike in the North West.

Unite is currently running a petition demanding that IHG UK stop targeting union activists, recognise the Kimpton workers rights to have their grievance heard collectively, and support their union recognition campaign.

Featured Image – LJK Photography (Supplied)

Business

CGIs show impressive brand-new creative workspace with ‘Northern Quarter energy’

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson CGIs show impressive brand-new creative workspace with 'Northern Quarter energy'

A new workspace and hospitality hub is set to open in the Northern Quarter this autumn – and based on the CGIs released so far, things are going to be quite impressive.

The Hive is heading to Lever Street in October, a whopping 22,000 sq ft workspace along with Dahlia, a huge new two-storey Latin BBQ restaurant.

The Hive, which comes from X+why, wants to be a workspace with real ‘Northern Quarter energy’, promising to bring people, ideas, food, music and culture together under one roof.

Based inside Grosvenor’s 47–51 Lever Street building, The Hive will offer flexible workspace, private offices and meeting spaces, but it’s the activity around them that could make the biggest mark on the neighbourhood.

A programme of talks, workshops, breakfast meet-ups, wellbeing sessions, socials and cultural collaborations will run throughout the year, bringing together Manchester’s growing mix of entrepreneurs, creatives, independents and businesses.

As well as Dahlia, which will have open-fire, Latin American-inspired cooking, a Liquorita bar, and a music-led space built around a bespoke sound system, there’s a second major food and drink opening in the works.

CGIs show impressive brand-new creative workspace with 'Northern Quarter energy'
CGIs show impressive brand-new creative workspace with ‘Northern Quarter energy’
How The Hive will look when it opens in Manchester
How The Hive will look when it opens in Manchester
Offices, co-working spaces, and so much more at The Hive
Offices, co-working spaces, and so much more at The Hive
Offices, co-working spaces, and so much more at The Hive
Offices, co-working spaces, and so much more at The Hive

The result should be a place that changes character as the day goes on – somewhere to work in the morning, grab food in the afternoon and stick around for drinks, music or an event later on.

The Hive’s interiors are being designed with the Northern Quarter in mind, using timber, reclaimed materials and work from local artists to reflect the area’s independent, industrial character.

Rupert Dean, CEO and co-founder of x+why, said: “Manchester has an extraordinary combination of creativity, ambition and community, and the Northern Quarter captures that energy better than almost anywhere else.

“The Hive is much more than a collection of offices. We are creating a place where work, hospitality, culture and community can exist together naturally, somewhere businesses can establish themselves, meet new people, share ideas and become part of the wider life of the city.

“The arrival of Dahlia and the wider food and drink offer will be an important part of that. Combined with our own programme of events and experiences, it will help The Hive feel active throughout the day and into the evening, creating a destination with a genuine relationship to the neighbourhood around it.

“Our growth journey has shown us that people want to feel connected to the places where they work and to the communities around them. The Hive gives us an opportunity to build on everything we have learned across the x+why network while creating something unmistakably rooted in Manchester.”

Fergus Evans, Office Portfolio Director at Grosvenor Property UK, said: “The Hive is a fantastic example of our regional offices strategy in practice, taking a landmark building in an exceptional location and repositioning it around the evolving needs of modern businesses and communities. Together with x+why, we’re creating a distinctive destination that builds on the energy of the Northern Quarter and supports the building’s long-term future.

“Manchester continues to perform strongly, supported by its deep talent pool, inward investment and growing digital and creative economy. Our investment in The Hive reflects sustained demand for well-located, high-quality, flexible workplaces that combine design, sustainability, hospitality and amenity.”

The Hive will open in October 2026 at 47–51 Lever Street, Manchester M1 1FN.

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Featured image: X+why

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