Last Updated on September 11, 2026 7:58 pm
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority voted unanimously, 6-0, on Friday, Sept. 11, to begin the process of renaming Nashville International Airport (BNA) in honor of Dolly Parton, according to a statement from the Authority and reporting by WKRN.
The board's resolution directs MNAA President and CEO Doug Kreulen to immediately begin pursuing the name change. To make the move possible, the Authority also amended its longstanding naming policy, which had previously required a person to be deceased for at least two years before a facility could be renamed in their honor. Board members instead cited a separate section of the policy giving them authority to direct changes to the names of airport buildings, places, facilities, and spaces. The naming policy dates to 2010 and was last updated in 2024.
A final new name has not been chosen. The Authority said it is working with “appropriate parties” to determine how Parton's name and legacy will be incorporated, with more definitive plans on implementation expected in the coming months. The airport's code, BNA, will not change.
The vote follows an announcement in late August from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who said he was partnering with the airport to pursue the name change as a tribute to Parton. “Dolly Parton's extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said in a statement. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell also voiced support, framing the renaming as a way for the city to honor Parton's own vision, pointing to her in-progress Nashville hotel and museum project, which she had described as her own love letter to the city.
Momentum for the renaming effort built quickly after Parton's death in late August. A fan-led petition, first launched in January and sitting at around 45,000 signatures earlier this year, surged past 175,000 signatures in the weeks following her passing. If completed, the renaming would make Nashville International Airport the first major international commercial airport in the United States named after a woman.
State Rep. Todd Warner has said he plans to introduce legislation related to the renaming as well. Warner had previously filed a bill to rename the airport after President Donald Trump, which did not advance in the Tennessee House earlier this year.
