Op-Ed: How sustainability, accessibility influence airline perceptionsRunway Girl

Please enjoy this Op-Ed contribution from Jennifer Sanchis, Senior Reputation Consultant at CARMA

When it comes to the airline industry, reputation is everything. It influences loyalty, attracts new passengers, drives revenue growth and shapes brand strength in an increasingly competitive market.

Word of mouth, online and off, still remains one of the most powerful factors in how reputations are built, maintained, or damaged. At CARMA, a global media intelligence and reputation consultancy, we set out to understand what really drives airline reputation in today’s climate. Focussing on two of the most emotive topics, accessibility and sustainability, we analysed how they are reflected across the media, in social media conversations and passenger perception.

For our study with Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), we conducted a comprehensive year-long study tracking more than 55,000 articles across traditional and social media. The analysis covered 12 leading global airlines, including British Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic across the UK, US, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.

It will come as little surprise that sustainability remained one of the most pressing issues in aviation throughout last year, given the industry’s environmental footprint. The topic received significant media attention, with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) dominating much of the conversation. The broader landscape includes a range of other initiatives, from sustainable aircraft interiors and low-impact materials to innovations aimed at reducing carbon emissions across the travel experience.

Overall, the study found over half (53%) of news and mentions of aviation-related sustainability had positive sentiment, reflecting increasing recognition and encouragement of the industry’s efforts. Neutral sentiment made up a quarter (25%) of news and negative coverage stood at 22%, showing a mix of both optimism and scrutiny. Interestingly, the UK led the charge in discussions around sustainability, with 37% of coverage, closely followed by the US at 36%, highlighting the strong focus on aviation sustainability in these regions. Here, the breakdown of sentiment highlights the growing importance of sustainability in the airline sector, not just as an operational priority, but as a reputational driver closely tracked by both the media and passengers. Positive responses to meaningful sustainability efforts and achievements suggest these initiatives are well received and increasingly expected.

Our study also found that while discussions around inclusivity and accessibility in aviation have increased over recent years, reflecting greater awareness of passengers’ diverse needs, the volume of media discussions is relatively low. In 2024, accessibility accounted for just 1.2% of airline coverage and 2% of social media posts, suggesting that while accessibility is recognised as important, it has not yet broken through as a dominant media trend. Most of the coverage was neutral in tone (61%), with 30% positive and only 9% negative. The UK led in accessibility-related reporting with 43% of all coverage, followed by the US at 37% and the UAE at 11%.

One of the biggest spikes in accessibility reporting occurred last September, when Virgin Atlantic received widespread attention for its partnership with deaf Gladiators star Jodie Ounsley and deaf twin content creators, Hermon and Heroda Berhane. The trio were invited to test and provide feedback on recent improvements made for deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers, with insights to be shared with the airline’s Accessibility Advisory Board. The strong media response of 197 articles in just one day shows how impactful a major airline’s efforts can be, especially when tied to authentic partnerships with influential figures. Perhaps most importantly, it reflects a growing appetite for meaningful accessibility advancements within the industry.

As the airline industry faces increasing demand (and scrutiny) for sustainability and accessibility, it is clear that innovation and collaboration will be key drivers of success. For airline professionals, designers and aviation interiors experts, there is an opportunity to influence the future of passenger experience by shaping environments that are not only sustainable but also inclusive.

The growing attention on these topics in mainstream and social media signals a shift in passenger expectations and demands. However, while sustainability has steadily gained traction in media narratives, accessibility still receives comparatively limited attention. To bring these conversations further into the spotlight, airlines and industry players must be more proactive in amplifying their work, turning thoughtful design and meaningful initiatives into compelling, shareable stories.

For professionals across the sector, this is an opportunity to lead with innovative thinking, leveraging both sustainability-driven solutions and inclusive strategies. Those who embrace these challenges will not only enhance their brand reputation but will also help shape the future of air travel.

Airline reputation: an exploration through the lens of sustainability and accessibility is available to download here.

About the Author

Jennifer Sanchis is an Insights Consultant at CARMA, offering strategic expertise on global PR measurement and evaluation programmes (e.g. Honda, HSBC, Visa, Aston Martin). Recognised as one of the industry’s brightest young talents, she was honoured with the AMEC Young Professional of the Year Award in 2023 and the CIPR Outstanding Young Communicator Award in 2019. Jennifer has extensive experience in delivering multi-award-winning international media analysis solutions and is a passionate advocate for best practice in the field. With a background in Corporate Communication and Journalism, she later specialised in Crisis Communication. In collaboration with AMEC, she co-translated the Integrated Evaluation Framework into French.

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