British Airways Hit By Major Hacking Attack

British Airways CEO Alex Cruz (file photo)

British Airways (BA) has announced a major data breach in which hackers stole information about some 380,000 customer credit cards.

The airline announced on September 7 that the attack, which lasted nearly two weeks, did not compromise any travel or passport information.

BA CEO Alex Cruz apologized for the data leak, saying it was the company's worst security breach in 20 years.

"We take the protection of our customers' data very seriously," he added.

The breach by unknown hackers took place between August 21 and September 5, the airline said, advising customers who think they might have been affected to contact their credit-card provider and follow their instructions.

Britain's National Crime Agency said they were aware of the incident and were "working with partners to assess the best course of action."

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa