Two British Columbia airports reported that their public address systems and flight information displays were hacked by an external party on Tuesday evening. Kelowna International Airport and Victoria International Airport confirmed the security breaches in official statements. Transport Canada acknowledged these incidents, along with a similar one at Windsor International Airport.
According to a statement from Transport Canada, the agency is collaborating with federal security partners, including law enforcement, to ensure the safety and security of airport operations and to prevent future disruptions. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security has also been informed about the breaches.
In a news release issued by Kelowna International Airport on Wednesday, the airport disclosed that it is conducting an investigation in conjunction with Transport Canada and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. Reports from social media users indicated that pro-Hamas and anti-Trump messages were seen and heard at the airport in British Columbia’s Okanagan region.
Phillip Elchitz, the airport’s director of operations and innovation, stated to CBC News that an external party accessed the flight information display system and the PA system in the terminal building. He mentioned that a message related to the Gaza situation, including profanities and images of President Trump, the Israeli prime minister, and individuals from Hamas, was broadcast over the PA system.
Although CBC News reviewed a portion of the PA announcement from Tuesday night, which included an allegiance to Jerusalem, it did not mention Trump or Hamas. An image captured at Kelowna International Airport displayed a message on a screen declaring “ISRAEL LOST THE WAR, HAMAS WON THE WAR HONORABLY You are a pig, Donald Trump.”
Elchitz mentioned that the PA system was restored within 20 seconds, while the removal of the images from the displays took a few minutes. Some flights experienced delays, but operations returned to normal that night with expectations of a regular day on Wednesday.
At Victoria International Airport, only the PA system was compromised, as confirmed by a spokesperson. The loudspeakers, which utilize a cloud-based external system common to many airports globally, played unauthorized audio content for a brief period before the operations team intervened.
Additionally, Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania reported a similar incident where an unauthorized user accessed its PA system and played a political message. Authorities are investigating the matter, but there were no threats against the airport, airlines, or passengers in the message.