Two airports in British Columbia reported that their public address and flight information display systems were breached by an external party on Tuesday evening.
Both Kelowna International Airport and Victoria International Airport acknowledged the security breaches through official statements sent via email. Transport Canada confirmed its awareness of the incidents, which also included a similar breach at Windsor International Airport.
According to a statement from Transport Canada, the federal agency is collaborating with law enforcement and other security partners to assess the impact on airport safety and security, as well as to prevent potential disruptions from similar events in the future.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security has been informed about these incidents.
In a press release published on Wednesday, Kelowna International Airport stated that they are actively investigating the breach in conjunction with Transport Canada and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. Numerous social media users reported witnessing pro-Hamas and anti-Trump messages being displayed at the airport in British Columbia’s Okanagan region.
Phillip Elchitz, the airport’s director of operations and innovation, disclosed to CBC News that an external party had unauthorized access to the flight information display system and the PA system within the terminal building.
Elchitz mentioned that a message containing profanities and related to the Gaza situation was broadcast over the PA system. The message included images and references to President Trump, the prime minister of Israel, and individuals affiliated with Hamas.
CBC News reviewed a portion of the PA announcement at Kelowna airport on Tuesday, translating to “We pledge allegiance to Jerusalem. I swear to God,” without mentioning Trump or Hamas.
An image captured at Kelowna International Airport on Tuesday, shared with CBC News, displayed a message on a screen stating “ISRAEL LOST THE WAR, HAMAS WON THE WAR HONORABLY You are a pig, Donald Trump.”
Elchitz confirmed that the PA system was restored within 20 seconds, while it took a few minutes to remove the unauthorized images from the displays.
Although a few flights faced delays at the airport, operations returned to normal on Tuesday night, expecting a full day of service on Wednesday.
Elchitz emphasized the collaboration with service providers to investigate the origin of the files on the screens and PA system, aiming to address any security vulnerabilities and prevent future breaches.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Victoria International Airport clarified that only their PA system was compromised. The loudspeakers utilized a cloud-based external system common among many airports worldwide.
External sources uploaded an unauthorized audio file that played on the loudspeakers briefly, promptly halted by the operations team with no disruptions, delays, or cancellations reported.
Additionally, a similar incident occurred in the U.S., with Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania confirming an unauthorized user accessed their PA system to play a politically themed recorded message.
The message did not pose any threats to the airport, its affiliates, airlines, or passengers. Local, state, and federal authorities are investigating the incident.