Using research from GlobalData’s Influencer platform, Airport Technology has named ten of the most influential people and companies in airlines on Twitter during Q2 2021.

Biggest influencers in airlines: The top ten in Q2 2021

1. Isaac Alexander (@jetcitystar)

Isaac Alexander is the editor-in-chief of the Jet City Star, a blog that focuses on aviation, space and defence news and information from the Seattle and Puget Sound region. He was an aircraft engine mechanic for the US Navy between 2004 and 2010 and the co-founder and director of publicity for the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival (MIFFF) between 2008 and 2012.

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Alexander was also the director of relations of Sakura-Con, a convention centre in Seattle, Washington and editor of the Anime News Network, a news website.

Twitter followers: 18,128

GlobalData influencer score: 100

2. Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir)

Alex Macheras is an aviation analyst, consultant, and broadcaster of aviation news on media networks such as BBC News, CNN, Al Jazeera, and Sky News. He works closely with industry experts and policy and decision makers to cover the latest developments in aviation.

Macheras also worked independently to report on the Airbus 380 production line and is a columnist at several publications such as the Gulf Times.

Twitter followers: 52,423

GlobalData influencer score: 69

3. Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer)

Jason Rabinowitz is an airline expert researching, writing, and sharing information on the aviation industry, airlines, and travel. He currently serves as the head of airline research for ATPCO, a platform that focuses on retail content and airline pricing. He also co-hosts the AvTalk Aviation podcast for Flightradar24, a flight tracking company that provides real time information on aircraft worldwide.

Rabinowitz previously served as director of airline research and as a data research manager for Routehappy, which was acquired by ATPCO. He currently leads ATPCO’s Routehappy content airline research that focuses on airline services.

Twitter followers: 50,522

GlobalData influencer score: 64

4. Tim Robinson (@RAeSTimR)

Tim Robinson is the editor-in-chief of Aerospace, a magazine of the Royal Aeronautical Society that provides in-depth news, analysis and features on the aerospace and aviation industry. Established in 1866, it is the only professional organisation that supports aviation and aerospace professionals on future developments, science, and engineering. The association is focused at elevating the standards of the aviation and aerospace sectors and providing a central platform for information sharing.

Twitter followers: 23,791

GlobalData influencer score: 60

5. Seth Miller (@WandrMe)

Seth Miller is founder and editor-in-chief of PaxEx.Aero, a company providing analysis and consulting services related to airline passenger experience. Miller specialises in in-flight entertainment and connectivity experience to passengers. He brings deep insight and knowledge on in-flight services and loyalty programmes, offering consultations on passenger experience to many technology providers and airlines.

Miller is also the part-time managing director for Caribbean Airlift Alliance, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the development of aviation and tourism markets in the Caribbean Islands.

Twitter followers: 17,901

GlobalData influencer score: 56

6. Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine)

Steve Trimble is a defence editor for the Aviation Week Network, a publishing and event production company offering insights and information on aviation, defence, and aerospace industries. He covers everything on the network ranging from missiles, to space and military aviation.

Trimble started his career as a journalist in 1997 and helped launch the Military.com portal in 2000. He has covered defence and aviation news for about 15 years working with websites such as FlightGlobal, which covers aviation and aerospace news.

Twitter followers: 24,082

GlobalData influencer score: 56

7. Henry Harteveldt (@hharteveldt)

Henry Harteveldt is a travel industry analyst, specialising in airlines, hotels, cruise, product development, brand positioning, digital commerce strategy, and loyalty marketing. He currently serves as president and travel industry advisor for the Atmosphere Research Group, a travel advisory and consulting firm.

Henry Harteveldt is also an independent board director of smarTours, an international tour operator that curates and provides a range of low-cost group tour packages.

Twitter followers: 21,844

GlobalData influencer score: 55

8. Airline Reporter (@AirlineReporter)

Airline Reporter is a website that provides information related to airlines, travel, and aviation. A group of writers and working professionals from across the world contribute to the website. They provide context to the stories and information related to the aviation business. A number of media sources have quoted and featured the publication such as USA Today, BBC, CNBC, AOL Travel, Seattle Times, and Forbes.

Twitter followers: 117,193

GlobalData influencer score: 50

9. Gary Leff (@garyleff)

Gary Leff is a travel expert and the chief financial officer of a university research centre based in Washington. He frequently blogs about points, miles, and business travel on the viewfromthewing.com website. He also co-founded InsideFlyer.com, a community of flyers who exchange information on the latest technologies related to flying, flyer programmes, and travel experiences with travellers. It is a privately funded group of experts, technologists and contributors who educate on frequent flyer miles.

Leff also serves as chairman and CEO of Miles and Points Consulting, which offers scientific and technical services on frequent flyer miles and points for travel.

Twitter followers: 28,096

GlobalData influencer score: 49

10. Karlene Petitt (@KarlenePetitt)

Karlene Petitt is an airline expert and pilot, who advocates for pilot and aviation safety. She researches on the safety culture and pilot training across the world, citing them to be major reasons impacting the performance of airline employees and their operational safety. She regularly contributes to the karlenepetitt.blogspot.com blog, where she educates, trains, and inspires about the aviation industry.

Twitter followers: 33,526

GlobalData influencer score: 49

Methodology

GlobalData’s influencer identification framework identifies influencers based on relevance; size of network, connections and followers; engagement levels with their content and analysis and input from sector experts. Influencers are then evaluated on a series of specific topic-related keywords used over the period and weighted by engagement metrics.