When Farah Khan walks through the newly opened Navi Mumbai International Airport (NIMA), the video feels less like an infrastructure showcase and more like a lifestyle tour.
She pauses at art installations, highlights dining options, and chats with the Adanis. There’s little about gates, queues, or flight operations.
That raises an obvious question: why does an airport need an influencer push at launch?
The answer lies in how airports are redefining their role in modern travel.
NIMA X Farah Khan
Airports Are No Longer Just Transit Points
For decades, airports were judged on efficiency: speed, capacity, and connectivity. Today, that definition has expanded.
Globally, airports are being positioned as experiences—spaces that introduce travellers to a city’s culture, taste, and ambition before they even step outside.
For many passengers, especially those on short business trips or layovers, the airport is their first and sometimes only interaction with a city. That makes the terminal a powerful branding surface.
The Changi Playbook: Experience Over Infrastructure
The most cited example of this shift is Singapore Changi Airport.
Changi deliberately blurred the line between airport and attraction through:
- Indoor gardens and waterfalls
- Large-scale art and architecture
- The Jewel complex, designed to be explored even without a boarding pass
Travellers often choose routes via Changi not just for convenience, but to spend time there. The airport acts as a compressed introduction to Singapore’s design sensibility, efficiency, and lifestyle.
What NMIA Is Signalling With an Influencer Launch
Seen through this lens, Farah Khan’s walkthrough isn’t random—it’s strategic.
She isn’t explaining logistics or systems. She’s behaving like a curious visitor. That framing sends a clear message:
- This airport is meant to be noticed, not rushed through
- It’s part of the city’s identity, not just its infrastructure
- The journey begins before take-off, not after landing
By choosing a familiar, mainstream cultural figure, NMIA is also broadening its audience beyond aviation enthusiasts to everyday travellers and social media users.
From Engineering Marvel to Cultural Introduction
Influencers excel at translating complex spaces into human experiences. In NMIA’s case, the walkthrough turns:
- Architecture into atmosphere
- Retail and food into discovery
- Scale into storytelling
This mirrors how cities now market themselves—less through facts and figures, more through feelings and first impressions.
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A Shift in How Big Infrastructure Is Launched
NMIA’s influencer-led introduction reflects a broader change in how large public projects are unveiled.
Instead of press releases and ribbon-cuttings alone, launches now include content that travels where audiences already are: Instagram, YouTube, and short-form video platforms.
The subtext is clear: attention is as critical as asphalt and steel.
NIMA: The Bigger Picture
Farah Khan’s video isn’t about flights. It’s about framing.
It positions Navi Mumbai International Airport as:
- A gateway, not just a terminal
- A preview of the city, not a waiting room
- An experience worth arriving early for
In an era where cities compete for tourism, investment, and perception, even airports are expected to tell a story. NMIA’s influencer launch suggests that for modern infrastructure, experience is no longer optional—it’s part of the blueprint.
