Tennessee governor plans to name Nashville airport after Dolly Parton

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced on Friday, August 28, 2026, his intention to rename Nashville International Airport (BNA) in honor of the late country music legend Dolly Parton. This proposal comes just days after Parton's death on Tuesday, August 25, at the age of 80. The governor's announcement follows a significant public outcry, with an online petition supporting the renaming accumulating over 164,000 signatures.

Governor Lee stated that Parton's team has expressed gratitude for the "extraordinary outpouring of support" and is receptive to further discussions regarding the name change. He emphasized that Parton's enduring legacy of music, generosity, faith, and kindness makes it fitting for the airport, as a gateway to Tennessee, to bear her name.

The proposed renaming will be formally addressed by the Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) at a meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 17. This move comes even though the current MNAA policy generally stipulates that individuals must be deceased for at least two years before airport properties can be named in their honor.