pressrelations publishes international media resonance analysis of U.S. airports

New study reveals how operational pressure, leadership visibility, and public perception shape the reputation of America’s leading airport hubs

U.S. international airports are no longer perceived solely as transport infrastructure. They have evolved into highly visible public brands whose reputation is continuously shaped by operational performance, passenger experience, infrastructure debates, and crisis management.

For the first time, pressrelations has conducted a comprehensive international media resonance analysis examining how the top 25 U.S. international airports are portrayed across domestic and international online media between January and March 2026.

The study analyzes visibility, reach, thematic positioning, sentiment, and executive presence, offering new insight into how airports compete for reputation in an increasingly high-pressure public environment.

“Reputation is never a coincidence. To lead in the future, airports must be visible, credible, and strategically present far beyond their home markets.” - Johannes Burk, Head of Global Business Development & Growth North America, pressrelations

Visibility is driven by operational pressure
The results reveal a highly dynamic media landscape in which the largest hubs dominate global visibility, often for operational rather than strategic reasons.

LaGuardia Airport, JFK, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport generated the highest volume of media attention during the analysis period. Coverage was heavily influenced by operational pressure points including delays, TSA bottlenecks, congestion, infrastructure strain, system-wide disruptions, and, in the case of LaGuardia, the widely reported runway accident.

The analysis demonstrates that airports today operate under constant public scrutiny, where disruptions rapidly evolve into international reputation events.

Positive sentiment remains difficult across the sector
While visibility is concentrated among the largest hubs, the sentiment analysis paints a different picture.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Tampa International Airport achieved the strongest sentiment scores in the study. However, even the sector’s top performers continue to operate within a predominantly negative media environment shaped by delays, security concerns, operational stress, and infrastructure capacity challenges. This underlines the increasingly difficult communications environment facing airport operators globally.

Executive visibility is shaped by crisis response and transformation
The study also highlights the growing importance of executive visibility in shaping airport reputation.
Airport leaders primarily gain media attention when navigating operational complexity, infrastructure modernization, congestion management, innovation initiatives, and public scrutiny.

Executives including Jim Szczesniak, Ricky Smith, James C. Chrisley, Ghizlane Badawi, Doug Kreulen, Mike Nakornkhet, and Chad Makovsky emerged prominently in media coverage tied to crisis response, expansion projects, technological transformation, and long-term infrastructure development. The findings show that leadership communication has become a critical factor in how airports position themselves publicly during periods of operational and reputational pressure.

A benchmark for strategic communications in aviation
Building on methodologies previously applied in large-scale international reputation benchmark studies, including pressrelations’ CAC40 media analysis, this study provides a structured framework for evaluating visibility, media positioning, and reputational risk in the aviation sector. The analysis covers all relevant online media coverage worldwide in which a U.S. international airport or its CEO was mentioned. In addition to quantitative visibility metrics, the study evaluates thematic context, sentiment, reach, and executive positioning through qualitative content analysis. Topics assessed include operational performance, customer experience, innovation, sustainability, partnerships, infrastructure, financial performance, and regulatory developments.

About the analysis
The study examines the global media perception of the top 25 U.S. international airports between January 1 and March 31, 2026.
The report captures and evaluates:

• Media visibility and reach 
• Sentiment and reputational positioning 
• Executive visibility 
• Strategic topic positioning 
• International media resonance 

The study is based on pressrelations’ media intelligence and qualitative content analysis methodology.
More information and access to the study: https://pressrelations.news/us-airports-pr