Dolly Parton Nashville airport rename proposal faces two policy hurdles
Tennessee’s governor backs naming Nashville International Airport for Dolly Parton, but the airport authority must first address its own rules.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
2 min read
A Dolly Parton Nashville airport rename is now on the table, with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee proposing that Nashville International Airport be named for the late music star. The CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority has also backed the idea, according to Associated Press reporting.
That does not mean a new name has been approved. The authority that governs the airport is expected to take up the proposal, along with its naming policy, at its Sept. 17 meeting, the governor’s office said.
Will Nashville airport be renamed for Dolly Parton?
There is no final decision yet. Lee’s proposal has political support and a fan campaign behind it, but the airport authority would have to decide how its policies apply before any renaming could go ahead.
Under the authority’s current policy, airport property may be named after a person only once they have been dead for at least two years, CBS News and the AP reported. With that rule unchanged, 2028 would be the earliest possible timing, WPLN reported.
WPLN also reported a second eligibility standard: an honoree must have made a substantial personal contribution to the airport authority or to aviation in Middle Tennessee. The authority had not said whether it would make an exception for Parton.
Support has grown, but the authority makes the call
Lee said he had spoken with Parton’s representatives about the idea. In a statement reported by CBS News, he said Nashville’s airport would be a fitting place to honor her legacy of music, generosity, faith and kindness.
An online campaign asking officials to rename the airport began in January 2025, the AP reported. It surged after Parton’s death, passing 155,000 signatures by Friday, according to the AP. CBS News reported more than 157,000 signatures as of that day.
The petition shows public backing, but it does not itself alter the airport’s name. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority is the body expected to consider the proposal and the rules that stand in its way.
If approved, the AP reported, Parton would become the first woman to have her name on one of the United States’ 50 busiest airports. Other airports named for prominent figures include Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
For now, travelers are still flying through Nashville International Airport, known by the BNA airport code. Sept. 17 is the next reported decision point, not a scheduled date for a rename.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.