Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport announced on August 28 that they intend to rename the airport in honor of Dolly Parton, three days after the country music icon died at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s board will formally consider the proposal and the airport’s existing naming policy at its September 17 meeting, with details expected in the coming weeks. If approved, the renaming would place Parton’s name on one of the fastest-growing airports in the United States, a facility that welcomed a record 26.7 million passengers in its most recent fiscal year and currently offers 115 nonstop destinations, making it the front door to a city whose global identity as Music City owes much of its cultural reach to Parton’s seven-decade career.
Key Takeaways
- Governor Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport (BNA) announced on August 28 their intent to rename BNA in honor of Dolly Parton; the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority will address the proposal at its September 17 board meeting.
- Parton’s team said it appreciates the outpouring of support, is touched by the idea, and is open to continuing the conversation about a lasting tribute to the Tennessee icon.
- BNA welcomed a record 26.7 million passengers in fiscal year 2026 (ending June 30), a 7.7% increase over the prior year, and now serves 115 nonstop destinations, the highest in the airport’s history.
- A Change.org petition to rename the airport “Dolly Parton International Airport” had gathered nearly 50,000 signatures before the governor’s announcement, driven by a grassroots campaign that began in January 2026 around Parton’s 80th birthday.
- The renaming would place Parton’s name alongside cultural figures honored at other major U.S. airports, including John F. Kennedy (New York), Louis Armstrong (New Orleans), and John Wayne (Orange County).
- Parton was laid to rest in a private family ceremony at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville on August 29, buried alongside her husband Carl Dean, who died in March 2025.
The Governor Spoke With Parton’s Team Before Making the Announcement Public
Governor Lee confirmed that he spoke with Parton’s team about the proposal during the week following her death on August 25. The governor’s office said Parton’s representatives expressed appreciation for the outpouring of support and described themselves as open to continuing the conversation. In keeping with how Parton lived her life, the team said, Parton still has a way of bringing people together for good, and they hope this tribute can serve as another example of that enduring legacy.
The language from both sides was carefully calibrated. The governor’s statement described the renaming as an “intent” rather than a finalized decision, and the airport authority characterized the September 17 board meeting as an opportunity to review its existing naming policy alongside the proposal. The distinction matters because the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority operates independently from the governor’s office and maintains its own governance structure for naming decisions. The board’s review of its naming policy suggests the process will follow a formal track rather than a ceremonial rubber stamp.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell released a statement supporting the proposal. MNAA President and CEO Doug Kreulen framed the renaming in terms of the airport’s mission, saying that Parton understood that dignity, kindness, and opportunity should never be defined by where a person comes from or their socioeconomic status. Kreulen drew a direct parallel between that principle and the airport’s own approach to passenger experience, noting that whether someone is boarding a private aircraft or taking their first flight, the level of care should be the same.
A Grassroots Petition Preceded the Governor’s Proposal by Seven Months
The governor’s announcement did not emerge from a vacuum. A Change.org petition to rename the airport “Dolly Parton International Airport” had been circulating since January 2026, organized by Tennessee residents Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion. The petition, which had gathered nearly 50,000 signatures before Parton’s death, described Parton as a national treasure and argued that Nashville’s airport should carry the name of someone who embodies what Music City represents.
Popovich and Dion launched the petition around Parton’s 80th birthday, independent of any government initiative. The campaign’s tagline, “We could all be Departin’ from Parton,” captured the grassroots energy behind the effort. The organizers emphasized that the petition was not positioned against any other naming proposal. A separate legislative effort earlier in 2026 had sought to rename BNA as “Trump International Airport,” a bill that failed to advance in the state legislature. The Dolly Parton petition predated the competing proposal and drew support from across the political spectrum, a distinction that reflects how Parton’s public image operated outside conventional partisan categories.
The petition’s existence gave the governor’s announcement a foundation of demonstrated public support. By the time Lee spoke with Parton’s team, the renaming concept had already been vetted in the public square for seven months, accumulating tens of thousands of signatures and generating media coverage that tested the idea’s viability before it became an official proposal.
BNA Is in the Middle of a $3 Billion Expansion That Would Carry Parton’s Name Into a New Era
The timing of the renaming proposal intersects with the most significant physical transformation in the airport’s history. BNA is in the middle of New Horizon, a $3 billion expansion program designed to accommodate projected demand of 40 million annual passengers by the late 2020s. The expansion includes a rebuilt Concourse A with 16 gates scheduled to open in 2028, a new six-story rental car facility and parking garage, and renovations to terminal entrances and passenger flow systems. The airport opened a Concourse D extension during the past fiscal year, adding five gates, new dining and retail, artwork, a moving walkway, and an outdoor observation terrace.
If the renaming is approved, the Parton name would be attached not to a static facility but to an airport in active transformation, one that is expanding its physical footprint, adding international routes, and investing billions in infrastructure that will define the passenger experience for decades. The airport opened in 1937 as Berry Field, named for the state’s Works Progress Administration administrator. The three-letter airport code BNA, which stands for Berry Field Nashville, has persisted for nearly nine decades even as the facility’s official name changed to Nashville International Airport. Whether the code would change under a Parton renaming has not been addressed publicly.
The airport set a single-day passenger record of 116,047 on October 5, 2025, and recorded its busiest month ever that same October with 2.55 million passengers. Porter Airlines launched nonstop service to Toronto’s Billy Bishop City Airport in May 2026, further expanding the airport’s international connectivity. The airport’s $3 billion expansion program is the infrastructure play; the Parton renaming is the branding play. Together, they would reposition Nashville’s airport as a facility that is both physically larger and culturally branded in a way that no other U.S. airport currently matches.
The Renaming Would Join a Short List of U.S. Airports Named for Cultural and Historical Figures
Airport renamings in the United States are infrequent and carry symbolic weight that extends beyond the signage. John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York was renamed from Idlewild in 1963, one month after the president’s assassination. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was renamed from New Orleans International in 2001 to honor the jazz musician born in the city. John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, was renamed in 1979 to honor the actor who had lived nearby. Washington’s two major airports honor presidents: Dulles for John Foster Dulles and Reagan National for Ronald Reagan, the latter a renaming that generated significant controversy when it was enacted in 1998.
A Dolly Parton–named Nashville airport would be the first U.S. airport named for a musician since the Armstrong renaming in 2001. The parallel to Armstrong is instructive: both artists transcended their genres to become cultural ambassadors for their home cities, and both names carry immediate global recognition that reinforces the city’s brand. For Nashville, which has invested heavily in positioning itself as a national destination for music, food, entertainment, and corporate relocation, attaching Parton’s name to the facility that handles every visitor’s first and last impression of the city represents a branding opportunity that aligns the airport’s identity with Nashville’s core value proposition.
The Parton name also carries philanthropic weight that few other potential honorees could match. The Imagination Library, which Parton founded in 1995, has distributed more than 200 million free books to children worldwide, operating in all 50 states, five countries, and territories. Parton’s $1 million personal donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2020 helped fund research that contributed to the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Parton donated $1 million to Hurricane Helene relief efforts after the storm devastated portions of the Carolinas in September 2024. The renaming, if approved, would honor not just a performer but a philanthropist whose giving extended across literacy, healthcare, disaster relief, and education at a scale that few private citizens have achieved.
Statewide Tributes Continue as Tennessee Prepares for a Prolonged Memorial Period
The airport renaming is one element of a broader pattern of institutional tributes that has accelerated since Parton’s death. The state designated January 19, 2026, as Dolly Parton Day to mark her 80th birthday. The University of Tennessee football team announced it would wear commemorative orange butterfly stickers on the back of players’ helmets throughout the 2026 season. The Empire State Building was lit in pink in her honor during the week of her death. The Grand Ole Opry dedicated its entire Saturday night broadcast on August 30 to Parton’s legacy, with performances from Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll, Parton’s niece Jada Star, and Channing Wilson. Maine Governor Janet Mills lit the governor’s residence in pink.
On Monday, August 31, the Parton estate announced Dollyfest, a two-day memorial concert series to be held across consecutive weekends in Nashville and London in 2027. The event was originally planned as a multi-artist concert in January 2026 featuring Parton as both performer and host, but Parton’s health challenges beginning in August 2025 forced its postponement. The estate said the event will now serve as a celebration of Parton’s legacy, though specific performers, venues, and ticket details have not been announced.
Dollywood, the theme park Parton built in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, opened the day after Parton’s death, saying “the show must go on.” Visitors arrived wearing pink, rhinestones, and costumes inspired by Parton’s signature style. Dollywood, which has grown into one of the top-rated theme parks in the United States, Tripadvisor’s No. 1 U.S. theme park, employs thousands of workers in Sevier County and generates economic activity that extends across East Tennessee. The park’s continued operation during the memorial period reflects the same approach that Parton brought to every setback in her career: keep the doors open, keep the music playing, and let the work speak for itself.
FAQs
Is Nashville International Airport officially being renamed for Dolly Parton?
The proposal has been announced jointly by Governor Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport, but formal approval requires action by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board, which will consider the proposal and its naming policy at its September 17, 2026, meeting. Parton’s team has said it is open to continuing the conversation.
How many passengers does Nashville International Airport serve?
BNA welcomed a record 26.7 million passengers during fiscal year 2026 (ending June 30), a 7.7% increase over the prior year. The airport now serves 115 nonstop destinations and is in the middle of a $3 billion expansion designed to accommodate 40 million annual passengers.
What other U.S. airports are named for cultural figures?
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was renamed in 2001 to honor the jazz musician. John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, was renamed in 1979. John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York was renamed from Idlewild in 1963. A Dolly Parton–named Nashville airport would be the first U.S. airport named for a musician since the Armstrong renaming.
What is the Change.org petition to rename the airport?
A petition launched in January 2026 by Tennessee residents Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion had gathered nearly 50,000 signatures before Parton’s death, calling for the airport to be renamed “Dolly Parton International Airport.” The petition preceded the governor’s announcement by seven months.
What is Dollyfest?
Dollyfest is a two-day memorial concert series announced by the Parton estate on August 31, 2026, scheduled for consecutive weekends in Nashville and London in 2027. The event was originally planned as a birthday celebration featuring Parton as performer and host before her health declined in 2025.
