British low-cost airline EasyJet said on Tuesday hackers had accessed the email and travel details of nearly 9 million customers, and the credit card details of more than 2,000 of them, in what the company described as a "highly sophisticated" attack.

In an official statement EasyJet admitted that 2,208 credit card details were accessed by hackers, though the company insists that passport details of customers were not compromised.

“There is no evidence that any personal information of any nature has been misused, however, on the recommendation of the ICO, we are communicating with the approximately 9 million customers whose travel details were accessed to advise them of protective steps to minimise any risk of potential phishing,” EasyJet said adding that the affected customers will be notified no later than May 26.

The airline did not provide any information regarding how and when the breach had happened, or how hackers managed to gain access to customers’ data.