Photo by Mahika Kukday | The Crow’s Nest
By Mahika Kukday
Flight information, construction updates and recommendations for those who don’t like Tampa International Airport (TPA) to use super glue as lip balm – these are all things that one can find on the @FlyTPA Instagram account.
Currently sitting at over 101,000 Instagram followers, TPA has carved out an unmistakably sassy online persona that’s earned it the adoration of its dedicated Floridian fanbase.
“People don’t expect airports to have any kind of personality, they expect them to be boring and stale and just a place to get through to where you’re going,” said C.J. Johnson, communications manager at Tampa International. “My goal is to make this the destination.”
Johnson, 32, is the voice behind TPA’s distinct social media presence. He’s been with the airport for three years, and if there’s a post from the airport online, he said there’s a 95% chance it came from him.
The Instagram account’s cult following can largely be attributed to the unique meme content, delivering a mix of niche Floridian humor, universally relatable travel experiences and random appearances by Phoebe the giant flamingo.
Mahika Kukday | The Crow’s Nest
Johnson earned one of the country’s first masters in social media from the University of Florida, then moved on to working with a nonprofit, starting his own consulting company and eventually breaking into professional social media work after a brief stint as an influencer.
Although Johnson is originally from the Midwest, he considers himself “very much a Tampa kid.”
“For some who casually observe it, they may think ‘this is silly, they’re just posting memes,’” Johnson told The Crow’s Nest. “But I argue the complete opposite. The strategy is very intentional.”
By regularly delivering engaging content that makes the airport seem almost like a friendly voice, he believes that the TPA team has been able to build credibility with their following.
“So that when we have to announce things that are heavy or a little bit boring, they still lean in and listen, because we’ve earned that trust with them,” Johnson said.
When hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated Tampa Bay within two weeks of each other last fall, Johnson said it was all hands-on deck at TPA communications to keep people updated. He recalled sleeping at the airport for three days during Milton and being “one of the first people out on the airfield the next morning to get photos of the damage to show people.
Travelers left both appreciative and critical comments on the airfield’s series of hurricane updates, though most expressed gratitude for the timely updates.
And while TPA has thousands of loyal defenders, Johnson said the airport does get its share of occasional naysayers.
“If people don’t want the [Instagram] content, they can get other kinds of content from us on three different platforms,” he clarified. LinkedIn is for business professionals and maintaining key community relations, X is for fast informational tidbits and Facebook is for “cute pictures of the flamingo,” among other things.
Multiple national airports like those of Denver and Portland are adopting interactive social media strategies of their own.
One of TPA’s most high-profile Instagram moments recently was when ESPN covered an online feud with Dulles International Airport (IAD) after the Washington Commanders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Jan. 12.
Screenshot from @FlyTPA on Instagram
Beyond the content creation and social media management, Johnson said his responsibility for properly fielding an average of 400 daily online messages to TPA, makes him feel like the “digital air traffic controller” for the airport.
He also oversees communications for airport concessions and coordinates with potential airline partners behind the scenes.
The four other members of the TPA communications team manage things like construction updates, media relations, internal messaging and more. The team members will take turns being “on call,” which means that person is the primary responder to all incoming messages from the public.
When Johnson isn’t on call, he’s “very religious” about his time away from work. He can be found going for morning jogs on Bayshore Boulevard, working out, traveling the world or enjoying his own doom-scrolling time on TikTok.
Johnson said he loves that the airport gets to play such a fun part in people’s lives.
“We love being part of what’s going on in Tampa Bay and keeping people on their toes,” he said. “They never know what we’re going to post next, and that gives me such great joy.”
