Hackers breached public address systems at four airports — three in Canada and one in the United States — on Tuesday, using them to play messages praising Hamas and criticising US President Donald Trump, officials confirmed.
At the Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia, an “advertisement streaming service” was compromised, allowing unauthorised content to be broadcast, according to the Kelowna Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP said it is investigating the incident with other agencies but declined to share additional details.
Similar messages and music in a foreign language were played at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, an airport spokesperson said. The hackers had accessed the public address system through third-party software, prompting the airport to switch to an internal system to regain control. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security is now assisting the RCMP and airport officials with the investigation.
In the United States, hackers took over the PA system at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a social media post on Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airport authorities are investigating the breach. The FAA has not yet commented on the incident.
At Windsor International Airport in Ontario, hackers breached both the public address system and flight information display screens on Tuesday evening. Unauthorised images and announcements appeared on the screens, airport officials said. The hack targeted a “cloud-based software provider” used by the airport. “Our systems returned to normal shortly thereafter,” the statement added.
All four affected airports are smaller regional hubs. Kelowna International Airport, the busiest among them, handled just over 2 million passengers in 2024. In comparison, Vancouver International Airport — the province’s largest — served more than 25 million travelers.