Nashville International Airport (BNA) is set to be renamed in honour of Dolly Parton, after Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the airport announced the plan on Friday, August 28, 2026. The move comes days after the country music star died at the age of 80.
In a joint announcement, the governor's office and the airport described the renaming as a "lasting tribute to her indelible legacy and the generations of people she inspired across Tennessee and around the world." Lee said it was fitting that Nashville International Airport "would bear the name of our state's favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly's music, generosity, faith, and kindness."
The family has the final say
The decision does not rest with the governor alone. Any renaming ultimately depends on Parton's family, and Lee confirmed he had already spoken with them. According to the governor's office, the family "expressed their appreciation for the extraordinary outpouring of support to honor Dolly" and said they were touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation.
The proposal is scheduled to go before the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board at its meeting on September 17, 2026. A public petition calling for the airport to carry Parton's name was started more than a year before her death and had gathered over 160,000 signatures by the weekend, with backing from a Nashville City Council member and a Tennessee state representative.
A first for a US airport
If the renaming goes ahead, Parton would become the first woman to have a major American airport named after her. US airports carrying a person's name are common enough — think John F. Kennedy International, Ronald Reagan Washington National or Louis Armstrong New Orleans International — but none currently honours a woman.
Naming rights of this kind are rarely straightforward. Estates typically negotiate licensing terms covering how a name and likeness may be used on signage, merchandise and marketing, a step the old Palm Beach International Airport went through before its own renaming.
Why BNA matters
BNA has been one of the fastest-growing airports in the United States over the past decade, driven by Nashville's tourism boom and its status as the centre of the country music industry. The airport completed a multi-billion-dollar expansion programme, New Horizon, that added a new international arrivals facility, additional gates and an expanded terminal lobby.
For the millions of visitors who arrive each year specifically because of the city's musical heritage, a terminal carrying Parton's name would make the connection explicit from the moment they step off the jet bridge.
Sources: NBC News, CNN, CBS News, Office of the Governor of Tennessee, Paddle Your Own Kanoo.
Comments
Loading comments…