UK Flag Carrier British Airways Fined $25.9Mln Over Massive Data Hack - Privacy Watchdog

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2020) The UK's flag carrier, British Airways, has been fined 20 million Pounds ($25.9 million) over a 2018 data hack that saw the personal and financial information of more than 400,000 clients stolen, according to a press release published by the UK Information Commissioner's Office on Friday.

"The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has fined British Airways (BA) �20m for failing to protect the personal and financial details of more than 400,000 of its customers," the press release read.

The fine amount is significantly less than the 183 million pounds proposed by the ICO in July 2019, following the hack that the watchdog said exposed the airline's poor security arrangements.

The ICO said on Friday that the decision to fine the airline 20 million pounds took into account the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry.

British Airways is owned by the Anglo-Spanish conglomerate International Airlines Group, which reported a $4.9 billion loss in the first half of 2020 as passenger flights were grounded due to the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Alex Cruz, the CEO of British Airways, announced this past Monday that he would be stepping down from his position.