Kelowna airport display screens hacked with pro-Hamas message; 2 other Canadian airports compromised

On Tuesday, three Canadian airports experienced a major cybersecurity incident where systems were hacked and broadcast unauthorized messaging for minutes before they were taken down. Sarah Jones has more.

By Charles Brockman

Posted October 15, 2025 12:53 pm.

Last Updated October 15, 2025 7:19 pm.

Officials at Kelowna International Airport (YLW) say display screens and the PA system inside the terminal were temporarily taken over by an unauthorized “third party” Tuesday night, causing some flight delays.

Transport Canada says similar incidents also occurred around the same time at Windsor International Airport in Ontario and Victoria International Airport in B.C.

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An image shared with CityNews by a YLW employee shows an airport screen displaying the message that it had been “hacked,” — along with a pro-Hamas and anti-Donald Trump message. A similar message and Arabic-language audio were reportedly played over the airport’s PA system.

The airport says the messaging was removed in a “matter of minutes.”

The Kelowna Airport on Wednesday October 15, 2025.

The Kelowna Airport on Wednesday October 15, 2025.

The Kelowna Airport on Wednesday October 15, 2025.

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YLW says the cybersecurity incident was limited to a cloud-based third-party software provider. It adds other airport systems are kept separate for security purposes.

“All affected systems were isolated and verified before being restored late [Tuesday] night.”

Transport Canada says it is working closely with federal security partners to ensure there are no other impacts on airport operations and to prevent similar incidents.

Victoria International Airport issued an apology to passengers for any inconvenience caused.

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