Crime:

With more than 90% of the commercial planes in the sky not having any protection against hacking, it is definitely a concern when it comes to introducing AI to air travel. The average age of an aircraft system is 22 years (1). This means that aircraft are easy targets for hackers. 

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In 2018, the US Government Accountability Office warned airlines manufacturers twice in the last three years that the industry and regulators need to step up their efforts to guard against cyber attacks as technology evolves at an ever faster pace (2).

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On September 21 2016, the US Department of Homeland Security official hacked into the systems of a Boeing 757 passenger aircraft parked in the airport in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was, he said last year, “a remote, non co-operative penetration” without insider help or being on-board, using “typical stuff that could get through security”.

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Things such as engine readings, compass data, altitude and other readings "could all be manipulated to provide false measurements to the pilot” (3). With a fully autonomous aircraft though, being hacked could lead to easy hijacking or terrorist events.