Hackers gained control of public address systems at four airports across Canada and the United States on Tuesday, broadcasting messages praising Hamas and criticising US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The coordinated cyber intrusion briefly disrupted operations at airports in British Columbia, Ontario, and Pennsylvania.
Cyberattack Begins In Canada
The first reported breach occurred at Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia, where attackers infiltrated an “advertisement streaming service” linked to the airport’s public address network.
“The system was briefly compromised and unauthorised content was shared,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement. The agency confirmed that it is investigating the incident with other government bodies but declined to release further details.
At Victoria International Airport, also in British Columbia, hackers broadcasted messages and music in a foreign language, a spokesperson told Reuters. The intrusion reportedly exploited vulnerabilities in third-party software connected to the airport’s audio system.
“Once the breach was identified, we immediately switched to our internal system to regain control,” the spokesperson said.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security is assisting the RCMP and airport authorities in tracing the source of the cyberattack and assessing measures to prevent further breaches.
Breach Reported In The United States
Similar disruptions were reported in the US at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed in a social media post on Wednesday that hackers had accessed the airport’s PA system to deliver politically charged messages.
Officials did not specify the exact content broadcast, but videos circulating on social media revealed pro-Hamas slogans and strong criticism of Trump and Netanyahu.
One such message, aired at Harrisburg, stated, “F** Netanyahu. F*** Trump. Free, free Palestine. Free, free Palestine. Turkish hacker Cyber Islam was here.”*
Windsor Airport Targeted
In a similar incident, Windsor International Airport in Ontario reported a breach on Tuesday evening. Hackers hijacked both the public address system and the flight information display screens, airport officials confirmed.
“Unauthorised images and announcements were broadcast to passengers before the system was restored,” airport management said in a statement.
The breach was traced to a cloud-based software provider used by the airport, officials noted, adding that normal operations resumed shortly after.
Authorities also clarified that there was no evidence of a broader data breach or compromise to critical infrastructure systems.
Regional Airports Affected
All four affected airports including Kelowna, Victoria, Windsor, and Harrisburg, are classified as regional feeder airports, not major international hubs.
For context, Kelowna International Airport handled about 2 million passengers in 2024, while Vancouver International Airport saw over 25 million travellers during the same period.
