Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport regained access to its official X account after hackers used the handle to publish cryptocurrency promotion posts in the early hours of October 19, 2026, according to a report by The Hindu. The unauthorised activity affected the airport’s account, @RGIAHyd, before access was restored and the posts were removed.
The account published multiple posts at around 1.30 a.m. promoting ‘StonkFun Season 1’, an activity-based rewards programme linked to the Stonk App and the Solana cryptocurrency ecosystem. The posts included an eligibility checker and urged users to verify whether they qualified for the programme.
The promotion also tagged several social media accounts and carried an image related to the programme. One of the posts stated that the eligibility checker would remain open for only one day, creating a time-sensitive call to action for people viewing the airport’s official account.
The incident is significant because official airport social media handles are used as public-facing channels for passenger communication. Such accounts can carry information about flight operations, access arrangements, advisories and airport services. Unauthorised promotional content on a verified institutional account can therefore make it difficult for users to distinguish legitimate airport communication from malicious or misleading material.
The Hindu reported that GMR Hyderabad International Airport authorities later regained control of the account and took steps to remove the unauthorised posts. The report did not cite an official statement from the airport on how the account was compromised, how long the unauthorised access lasted or whether any user information was affected.
The reported breach also highlights the operational dependence of urban infrastructure agencies on third-party digital platforms. Airports increasingly use social media accounts alongside websites and other communication channels to reach passengers quickly. When access to an account is lost, the disruption is not limited to the platform itself: the institution must restore control, remove misleading material and re-establish confidence in its official communications.
At the time of the report, no formal public explanation had been issued by RGIA about the incident. The airport’s next official communication is expected to clarify the status of the account, the steps taken to secure it and whether passengers or followers need to take any action in response to the cryptocurrency-related posts.
