The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to rename Nashville International Airport (BNA) after country music icon Dolly Parton.

In a 6-0 vote, officials have now cleared the way to begin the process of selecting a new name. Once that is done, they can then get to working on planning what needs to be updated and how it will be funded.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority said:

“The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority voted unanimously, 6-0, to begin the process of modifying the airport’s name in honor of Dolly Parton.

“While a final name has not yet been determined, we are working closely with the appropriate parties to thoughtfully determine how Dolly Parton’s name and legacy will be incorporated.

“This vote represents the first step in a multifaceted process. In the coming months, we anticipate having more definitive plans to share regarding the next steps and implementation.

“We are grateful for the tremendous support and enthusiasm from our community and Dolly’s fans around the world. We look forward to sharing additional details as plans are finalized.”

Even though Dolly Parton passed away on August 25, 2026 after battling cancer, calls to have the airport named after her were proposed more than a year before that.

In January 2025, Tennessee State Representative Todd Warner, proposed to rename Nashville International Airport after President Donald Trump.  The proposition was met with opposition, with one Nashville resident Lydia Popovich launching a competing petition to name the airport after Dolly Parton, arguing that she better represented Tennessee.

In March 2025, Warner’s bill failed in the Tennessee House Transportation Committee.

Fast forward to August 2026, Parton’s passing encouraged supporters to start a new petition to have the airport renamed after her. The petition garnered over 175,000 signatures, and just three days later, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee formally announced his support for naming the airport after Parton and began coordinating with airport officials and her estate.

On September 11, 2026, the airport board officially voted on the matter, with all agreeing to change the name after the country singer and song writer. While the airport name will be changed, the three-letter IATA code BNA will most likely remain the same.

Even though Parton was originally from East Tennessee, she moved to Nashville in 1964, where her country music career would take off, eventually leading her to become one of the US’s biggest international music stars. Besides being a singer and recording artist, she was also a prolific song writer, writing over 3,000 songs during her time in the industry.

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