Nashville International Airport will be renamed after the late Dolly Parton following Friday’s unanimous approval from the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners.
Parton, dubbed the Queen of Country, died in the Tennessee capital on Aug. 25 at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer.
While the board has not determined a final name for the airport, it said after its 6-0 vote that it’s working closely with the appropriate parties to decide how to incorporate her name.
“We are grateful for the tremendous support and enthusiasm from our community and Dolly’s fans around the world,” the board said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing additional details as plans are finalized.”
Friday’s vote marks the first step in the bureaucratic process to officially rename the airport following Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s Aug. 28 announcement that it would be reimagined to honor the singer.
Mr. Lee said Parton’s team was “touched by the idea” and hopes this tribute can be an example of her lasting legacy.
“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Mr. Lee said in a statement at the time. “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.”
Doug Kreulen, CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, said Parton’s legacy is a reminder that what makes Nashville special is “our ability to welcome people from every walk of life.”
He added in his Aug. 28 statement, “That spirit is what defines BNA and it is a fitting reflection of the values Dolly shared with Tennessee and the world.”
An exact budget has yet to be announced, but a 2025 legislative proposal to rename Nashville’s hub as Trump International Airport failed after a fiscal assessment estimated a $10.3 million price tag.
The renaming of Palm Beach International Airport to President Donald J. Trump International Airport this year incurred an estimated $5.5 million cost for rebranding, signage and marketing material.
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