commercial aerospace
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Using research from GlobalData’s Influencer platform, Aerospace Technology has named ten of the most influential people and companies in commercial aerospace on Twitter during Q4 2020.

Biggest influencers in commercial aerospace: The top ten in Q4 2020

1. Isaac Alexander (@jetcitystar)

Isaac Alexander is the editor-in-chief of the Jet City Star blog, where he covers news and information on aerospace, defence, and aviation from Seattle and the Puget Sound region. He previously worked as an aviation machinist’s mate or an aircraft engine mechanic for the US Navy between 2004 and 2010.

Alexander also co-founded and served as the director of publicity for the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival (MIFFF) in 2008, where he found the first genre film festival in Seattle and handled the online promotions for the event.

Twitter followers: 16,856

GlobalData influencer score: 100

2. Flightradar 24 (@flightradar24)

Flightradar24 provides global flight tracking service in real time, turning the information into consumer and business applications. The data comes from more than 20,000 automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) receivers, managed by companies and individuals across the world, which have the capability to track over 150,000 flights per day.

Flighradat24 also receives positional data for non-ADS-B equipped aircraft through Multilateration (MLAT). The ADS-B and MLAT data is merged with flight schedules and status data from the aviation industry to track flights.

Twitter followers: 657,106

GlobalData influencer score: 65

3. Airways Magazine (@airwaysmagazine)

Airways Magazine is a Florida-based commercial aviation publication, which has been in circulation since the past 26 years. It is known for its bold and often provocative articles, offering knowledge, insights, scope, and images of its wide coverage across the aviation sector.

Airways is currently distributed in North America and across 35 nations worldwide, with a strong subscriber base in more than 60 countries.

Twitter followers: 73,033

GlobalData influencer score: 57

4. Aviation Blogs (@aviationblogs)

Aviation Blogs is a pilot, aircraft mechanic, and entrepreneur, who shares information on everything related to the aviation industry, including drones. He contributes to the flightschoollist.com, an online aviation school directory covering lessons on flying, aviation fields, and flight and aviation schools.

Twitter followers: 71,678

GlobalData influencer score: 53

5. B N Sullivan (@AircrewBuzz)

B N Sullivan provides aviation news for pilots and cabin crew members and also offers breaking news on natural disasters, current issues and events, and extreme weather conditions near prominent aviation hubs in his blog called the Aircrew Buzz.

Sullivan covers all crew-related information and commentaries on aircraft accidents, flight safety issues, labour laws, aviation security, and more, in his blog.

Twitter followers: 34,979

GlobalData influencer score: 53

6. Mary Kirby (@RunwayGirl)

Mary Kirby is founder, editor, and publisher of the Runway Girl Network, providing aviation news service, with enhanced focus on airline passenger experience. Kirby has more than two decades of experience in the aviation sector as a journalist and editor. She specialises in areas such as inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC), aircraft interiors, and passenger experience coverage.

Kirby was also airline passenger experience magazine sub editor-in-chief of Ink, a travel media that connected numerous travellers to advertisers and brands, and the flight international senior editor of Reed Business Information, an information technology and services company.

Twitter followers: 64,249

GlobalData influencer score: 53

7. IATA (@IATA)

International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a trade association for the world’s airlines. Formed in 1945, it aims to provide inter-airline cooperation to promote safe, reliable, and economical air services to consumers worldwide.

IATA represents around 290 airlines in 120 countries, covering 82% of the total air traffic. It aims at building global commercial standards, simplifying processes, and increasing passenger convenience.

Twitter followers: 241,793

GlobalData influencer score: 53

 8. Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine)

Steve Trimble is a defence editor at the Aviation Week, providing business-critical information on defence, aerospace, and aviation. With about 15 years of experience in defence and aviation issues, he covers topics related to military aviation, space, and missiles.

Trimble helped launch the Military.com portal in 2000, after which he joined the Aviation Week in 2001. He also reported on the Pentagon for Aerospace Daily in 2002 and 2003.

Twitter followers: 20,922

GlobalData influencer score: 53

9. Aviation Addiction (@AviateAddict)

Aviation Addiction is an online platform of aviation enthusiasts, including pilots, instructors, plane spotters, flying schools, and flying organisations. Managed by pilots, the platform promotes everything related to aviation, including learning to fly.

Twitter followers: 53,196

GlobalData influencer score: 48

10. Vertical Magazine (@verticalmag)

Vertical Magazine is the world’s largest helicopter magazine, providing news, in-depth features, and images. It offers stories on the civil helicopter industry from eminent writers and experts, and is published ten times annually.

Regular features in the magazine include industry reports and news, helicopter operator profiles, flight test profiles, new product releases, maintenance articles, and avionics.

Twitter followers: 26,471

GlobalData influencer score: 45

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.