New | What’s worrying airline executives? Mid-flight aircraft hacking, IT failure and legal risks of mergers, survey finds
United Airlines’ experience showed that flight control is vulnerable to cyber breach
Executives in the aviation industry are grappling to keep up with the technology arms race, as digital vulnerability and rapid technological change rank as some of the top concerns among management, according to a poll of senior executives in aviation.
Risk advisory firm Willis Towers Watson’s Transportation Risk Index polled 147 senior executives in the aviation industry on what risks are keeping them awake at night.
Mark Hue Williams, the company’s global head of transportation, said risks faced by the global aviation industry are becoming more diverse, complex and interlinked, creating new challenges for both the aviation industry and insurance companies.
Cyber issues show up as an ever-present concern across all regions and sub-sectors of the industry
“There is no number one overriding risk concern,” Williams said, “but cyber issues show up as an ever-present concern across all regions and sub-sectors of the industry.”
A cybersecurity researcher in the US last year told the FBI that he had hacked into the computer systems aboard a United Airlines aircraft and even managed to control an aircraft engine during a flight. United Airlines, which ranks No 2 globally in terms of fleet size, also made headlines last year for an incentive scheme rewarding hackers for spotting holes in its computer system, after falling victim to several technological problems since 2012.
“More airlines are coming to the table asking for help with cyber and to assess their vulnerability,” Williams said.
Cyber risks ranging from data breaches, failure of IT systems, to aircraft hacking are particularly dangerous for the aviation industry not only for the consequences but also because they amplify other risks, he said.
