Nashville’s airport would be renamed for Dolly Parton under governor’s proposal
Fans pushed to rename Nashville International Airport after late country icon Dolly Parton. Now, the proposal seems to be moving forward with the governor’s stamp of approval.
On Friday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the Nashville International Airport (BNA) announced their intent to rename the airport after Parton, who died Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer.
Lee said he spoke with Parton’s team about the proposal days after the 80-year-old’s death, who expressed their appreciation and support, adding they were touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation.
“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” said Lee. “At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness.”
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell also threw his support behind the idea, saying in part, “Now it’s our turn to share a love letter to Dolly – by renaming the Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport in Nashville.”
But it’s not a done deal just yet. Officials said the proposal to rename the airport will be taken up at a future meeting and details will be released in coming days.
The news follows a flurry of support for the idea via a Change.org petition, which called for the renaming in honor of the country music legend.
The petition already garnered more than 150,000 signatures as of Aug. 28. The petition was originally launched in January 2025, but the number of signatures has skyrocketed since the singer's death on Aug. 25.
"Since her passing, tens of thousands of additional supporters have visited and signed this petition," Tennessee locals Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion, who launched the petition in 2025, wrote in an update on Aug. 25. "The outpouring of support has reinvigorated our mission — to rename the Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport."
The petition features many comments expressing gratitude and admiration for both Parton's legacy as a musician and entertainer, as well as for her philanthropic endeavors.
"Dolly's Foundation is the only entity that gave financial support to my son (as well as everyone who lost their home) in the 2016 Gatlinburg fire. With that money he was able to have a down payment on another house," a supporter named Lynn said.
Nashville Metro Councilmember Russ Bradford announced this week that he is sponsoring a resolution to signal the council's support for renaming the airport.
"Few people have done more to define what this city means to the rest of the world," Bradford wrote.
Republican State Rep. Todd Warner, who recently sponsored a bill to rename the airport after President Donald Trump before withdrawing the bill following widespread pushback, said he would support renaming the airport in honor of Parton.
"It will be one of the first bills that I file if someone doesn't beat me to it in November," Warner said.
The final decision will be up to the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. The airport has a policy that has been in place since 2010 that prevents the renaming of the airport in honor of an individual until two years after that individual's death.
Popovich and Dion hope an exception can be made for Parton in light of the impact she had on the world.
"Dolly deserves to be remembered and celebrated. What a wonderful way to share her light and magic across Tennessee and the world," they wrote.
Top Picks
A dog's customized pink wheelchair worth $800 was stolen. An organization stepped in to replace it
Scammers are impersonating MyChart. Here’s how to spot them
'Liquid concrete': Why living downstream from a glacier has become a deadly liability
