Middle East dominates the... | Connecting Travel

Emirates and Qatar Airways occupy the top two spots

Social media insight specialist Emplifi has listed the top 10 most followed airline profiles on Instagram since the start of 2022, and the Middle East tops the ranking. Gulf country carriers Emirates and Qatar Airways top the list taking first and second place respectively. Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airwards comes in fifth place.

The airlines' domineering social media presence is testament to the success of the campaigns ran by their social media and marketing departments, as well as their ever-expanding scope.

Emirates famously placed a stunt woman dressed in cabin crew uniform on top the Burj Khalifa for its latest social media video campaign, garnering more than 774,000 views for the post on Instagram alone.

The top 10 most followed airline profiles are:

Emirates: 6,417,872 followers
Qatar Airways: 4,475,811 followers
LATAM Airlines: 2, 203,284 followers
Turkish Airlines: 1,978,891 followers
Etihad Airways: 1,861360 followers
Lufthansa: 1,466,300 followers
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: 1,379,064 followers
Singapore Airlines: 1,33,897 followers
Garuda Indonesia: 1,204,818 followers
Delta Air Lines: 1,186,984 followers

Emplifi chief marketing officer Zarnaz Arlia said: “It’s no surprise that three of the top five most followed profiles are Middle Eastern carriers: Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways. The Middle Eastern region is a global hub, which makes it a key destination for business and tourism. These airlines in-particular are known for the premium care they provide on and offline and their large following on social media is a testament to the 'brand love' their audiences have for these brands.

"Since the pandemic, social media has been instrumental in how customers connect with airlines, especially when it comes to customer care. With flights resuming and travel plans skyrocketing, airlines will continue to adapt using the latest technology to provide outstanding customer care across channels.”