NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners voted 6-0 on Friday to begin the process of renaming Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton. The vote initiates a formal procedure to rename the facility, which is the busiest airport in Tennessee with more boardings and arrivals than all other airports in the state combined.

The authority stated that a final name for the airport has not yet been determined and that it is working with appropriate parties to determine how Parton's name and legacy will be incorporated. To proceed with the renaming, the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority must override a policy prohibiting naming a facility after someone less than two years after their death. Parton died on August 25, 2026, at age 80 following a battle with cancer.

Renaming the airport is estimated to cost millions of dollars. Airport officials stated that the name change process could take a year or more and involves working with Parton’s estate to determine how to split profits from merchandise sales. The Federal Aviation Administration must approve the name change for Nashville International Airport, which currently uses the three-letter code BNA, standing for Berry Field Nashville.

She’s the best of the humans on the planet. She was this magical person that provided light and guidance to all of us, Popovich said. Stuart McWhorter, a member of the state-controlled Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board, suggested at the Friday meeting that the board could get beyond the litigation and get back to working together" in the spirit of Dolly Parton. Alex Apple, spokesman for Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, stated that the Federal Aviation Administration will receive votes from both the state-controlled and city-controlled airport boards in favor of the name change."

The renaming of Nashville International Airport would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America’s 50 busiest airports. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell supports the renaming, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced support for the effort in late August 2026. Parton was born in Tennessee in January 1946 and moved to Nashville in 1964. Her husband, Carl Dean, died in 2025, and she was buried on August 28, 2026, in a private ceremony in Nashville.

Why It Matters

The vote represents a shift in how the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority honors local figures, requiring an override of its own two-year waiting period policy. The process involves navigating a bifurcated regulatory system created in 2023, with one board run by the state and one by the city, both of which must align for Federal Aviation Administration approval. The financial commitment, estimated between $8 and $10 million, reflects the scale of the rebranding effort for the 4,555-acre facility.

This development also shows the tension between public sentiment and institutional precedent. While Parton described the idea as "just a joke" in January 2025 and had declined a statue proposal in 2021, the posthumous push has gained political and public traction. The outcome will set a precedent for naming rights at major U.S. airports and establish a framework for profit-sharing with the estates of honorees.

Timeline

Parton was born in Tennessee in January 1946. She moved to Nashville in 1964. In 2021, Parton declined a proposal to place a statue of her on the Tennessee Capitol grounds. A bifurcated regulatory system for the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, with one board run by the state and one by the city, was created in 2023.

In January 2025, Parton described the idea of renaming the airport after her as "just a joke" during an interview. Also in January 2025, Lydia Popovich started a Change.org petition to rename Nashville International Airport after Parton. Parton's husband, Carl Dean, died in 2025.

What's New

A previous effort to rename the airport after Parton began as a petition started in 2025, before Parton's death. The petition gained support, with over 175,000 signatures, and was a factor in the airport board's decision to begin the renaming process. Lydia Popovich started a Change.org petition in January 2025 to rename Nashville International Airport after Parton.

Lydia Popovich, the co-organizer of the petition, expressed that Parton was a fitting choice to have the airport named after her due to the positive impact of her charitable work. She also mentioned that Parton had previously declined similar honors during her lifetime.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the primary driver and context for the renaming regarding Parton. Stuart McWhorter, a member of the state-controlled Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board, suggested at the Friday meeting that the board could "get beyond the litigation and get back to working together" in the spirit of Parton. In contrast, WSMV reported that a previous effort to rename the airport after Parton began as a petition started in 2025, before Parton's death, and that the petition gained significant support with over 175,000 signatures, which was a factor in the airport board's decision.

Regarding the petition's status, Stuart McWhorter focused on the board's unity, while the Change.org petition record stated that the petition to rename Nashville International Airport after Parton had received more than 175,000 signatures as of September 12, 2026. On the historical significance, McWhorter emphasized moving past litigation, whereas newsdata reported that the renaming of Nashville International Airport would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America’s 50 busiest airports.

Parton's personal stance also presents a contrast in sources. However, WSMV reported that the petition started in 2025 before her death gained significant support and influenced the board. Newsdata showed that the renaming would make Parton the first woman with such an honor at a top 50 airport, differing from Parton's earlier dismissal of the concept. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners meeting minutes recorded the 6-0 vote to begin the process, while WSMV emphasized the petition's role in that decision. The Change.org petition record provided the signature count, while newsdata focused on the historic nature of the potential naming.