Image Credit: Canva.
Article by Paula Gomes, Tennessee Conservative News –
The Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) took the first step in the process to rename Nashville’s BNA in honor of Dolly Parton in a unanimous 6 to 0 vote on Friday.
MNAA said in a statement that a final name had not yet been decided and that determining how Parton’s name and legacy will be incorporated will be worked on closely with “appropriate parties.”
The next step in the process will come on Thursday, September 17th, 2026, at MNAA’s board meeting where they will address current naming policy. Current bylaws state that to rename the airport for someone who has died they must have passed away at least two years prior and also have had a big impact on aviation within the state.
Modifying the airport’s name is a multifaceted undertaking which will involve a complete rebranding of the airport requiring new signage, updating merchandise, new uniforms, a 40-foot-tall airport monument, and many administrative and legal costs along the way. The price tag for the endeavor is estimated to be between eight to ten million dollars.
It will not be a quick process either. With so much to update, it could take months at a minimum, and likely a year or more before flyers are greeted with the changes as they arrive and depart Music City.
The proposal has widespread bipartisan support from both Republicans and Democrats in the Tennessee General Assembly, as well as Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and the Metro City Council making Parton’s legacy even more special in its power to unite Tennesseans from all walks of life.
Following a cancer diagnosis that she kept mostly private, Parton died August 25th, 2026, at the age of 80.
Governor Bill Lee said that Parton carried the Volunteer Spirit with her wherever she went, calling her the state’s “favorite daughter.”
In renaming the airport to honor Parton, Lee said it will create “a lasting tribute to her indelible legacy and the generations of people she inspired across Tennessee and around the world.”
Last year, a Nashville-based comedian and Dolly fan introduced a petition calling for BNA to be renamed “Dolly Parton International Airport” which garnered around 50,000 signatures. Following Parton’s passing, the petition rapidly gained new attention and more support from members of the public.
Legislation aimed at renaming BNA after President Donald Trump earlier this year failed to receive a positive recommendation from the Tennessee House Naming and Designating Committee last year and ultimately died in committee but the bill’s conservative sponsor, Representative Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill-District 92), is very much in favor of renaming the airport for Parton instead.
Parton will be the first woman whose name adorns one of the country’s fifty busiest airports.
Sources:
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
WSMV.
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
UPI.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
