Etihad Airways is investigating claims that the personal data of thousands of customers was leaked during a promotional campaign three years ago.
According to Gulf News, around 7,000 Etihad Guest members could have been affected and came after a breach of security at Dubai-based marketing firm EmailCiti.
The report said the leak included the names, email addresses and “other personal information” of around 7,000 Etihad Guest members worldwide, including those in the Middle East, United States and Europe.
An Etihad spokesperson said the possible breach affected “a small number” of members of its loyalty programme, Etihad Guest, but that the airline had taken “immediate action” to address the issue.
“The data is three years old, does not include sensitive or financial information, and presents no threat to the security of Etihad Guest member’s accounts,” the spokesperson added.
“Etihad Guest takes the security and privacy of its members very seriously and has taken immediate action to address any concerns.
“It also appears this information was misappropriated from a marketing vendor involved in a promotional campaign in 2013.
“As a consequence, Etihad Airways is considering all its legal options as a matter of priority.”
The data breach follows a number of high-profile cases last year including incidents at Hyatt, Hilton and Starwood.