Kelowna International Airport (YLW) officials reported an unusual incident on Tuesday night when display screens and the PA system were temporarily hijacked by an unauthorized individual, resulting in flight delays. This occurrence was not isolated, as similar incidents were also reported at Windsor International Airport in Ontario and Victoria International Airport in British Columbia.
A photo shared by a YLW employee showed an airport screen with a message claiming it had been “hacked,” accompanied by pro-Hamas and anti-Donald Trump content. Additionally, Arabic-language audio with a similar message was played over the airport’s PA system. The airport swiftly removed the unauthorized messages within minutes.
YLW clarified that this cybersecurity breach was limited to a third-party cloud-based software provider, emphasizing that other airport systems are segregated for security reasons. All affected systems were promptly isolated, verified, and restored later that night.
Transport Canada affirmed its collaboration with federal security partners to ensure no further disruptions to airport operations and to prevent future incidents of this nature. Meanwhile, Victoria International Airport issued an apology to passengers for any inconvenience caused by the disruption.