Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates' social media strategies before, during, and after COVID-19

The aviation industry has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, with digital technologies and social media becoming a vital tool for communication and marketing. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift, presenting unprecedented challenges to airlines. This thesis explores the social media strategies of Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Emirates before, during, and after the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global air travel, resulting in travel restrictions, reduced passenger numbers, and financial strain on the aviation sector. In response, airlines turned to social media to maintain vital connections with passengers, deliver real-time updates, and navigate this uncertain landscape. The aim of this study is threefold: (i) to assess the pre-pandemic social media strategies of these airlines, (ii) to investigate how these strategies evolved during the pandemic, and (iii) to compare the effectiveness of social media strategies before and after COVID-19. This research offers insights into how these aviation giants utilized social media to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic. The findings have significant implications for aviation stakeholders, marketing professionals, and researchers, shedding light on the evolving role of social media in crisis communication and marketing. The thesis is structured into chapters, including a literature review, research methodology, results, and discussions. It concludes with important insights into the changing landscape of social media strategies in the aviation industry during unprecedented global events. Keywords: Aviation Industry, COVID-19, Crisis Communication, Social Media Strategies.