Hackers breach airport PA systems across U.S., broadcasting pro-Hamas messages and anti-Trump rhetoric, prompting federal investigations and raising aviation cybersecurity concerns.
Unauthorized pro-Palestinian messages praising Hamas and attacking U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were broadcast through public address systems at four North American airports on Tuesday, sparking confusion among travelers and triggering immediate security investigations into what authorities are calling a coordinated cyber intrusion.
The incidents caused temporary disruptions at terminals in Pennsylvania and multiple Canadian airports. Social media videos from passengers at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania captured the explicit messages being played over the terminal loudspeakers, with several expressing alarm at the sudden and politically charged nature of the broadcasts.
Similar incidents were reported at Kelowna International Airport and Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, as well as Windsor International Airport in Ontario. Canada’s transport agency, Transport Canada, confirmed the breaches and said investigations are underway.
According to airport authorities and passenger accounts, the unauthorized messages praised Hamas while using profane language to denounce Trump and Netanyahu. No threats of violence were made, but the political nature of the content unsettled travelers.
“This is absolutely unacceptable and understandably scared travelers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a statement on social media. He confirmed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working with Harrisburg airport officials to investigate the breach.
The breach adds to growing concern over cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the aviation sector, which has seen a sharp rise in attacks over the past year. In June, a major cybercriminal group reportedly infiltrated airline systems across the U.S. and Canada. Just last month, a widespread outage of a passenger check-in system caused chaos across European airports.
