The arrival hall at Beirut International Airport. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Ten days following a cybersecurity breach at the Beirut International Airport (BIA), internet connections are still down in most services and the baggage system is operating at 20 percent, according to a source at Middle East Airlines (MEA) who spoke with L'Orient Today on Wednesday.
A breach of the airport's cyber security on Jan. 7 resulted in baggage belts malfunctioning and a hostile message to Hezbollah showing on screens meant to display flight details. A source at MEA, the national airline, confirmed that the Flight Information Display System (FIDS) network had indeed been hacked.
The attack also caused a disruption in the Baggage Handling System (BHS) for luggage inspection. Caretaker Minister of Transport and Public Works Ali Hamieh said last Friday that "everything will be resolved by Monday [Jan. 15]" — the date has come and gone with apparent issues yet to be resolved. There has been no response from the minister to our inquiries.
The MEA source says that while internet is still down throughout most of the airport's services, "priority is given to restoring connectivity in critical departments." To compensate for limited functioning in the airport's baggage systems, other measures have been implemented, including using elevators in the building to transport luggage.
The same source also states that the investigation into the cyber security incident is still ongoing. "Once it is completed, it is clear that we will take measures to renew our equipment and network."
