Nashville Airport to be named after Dolly Parton

Nashville International Airport in the United States is moving forward with plans to honour entertainment icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton by adding her name to the airport.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport, in partnership with the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, announced on Friday their intention to name the airport in Parton's honour, report US-based media outlets Fox News and Newsweek.

Parton died at the age of 80 on Tuesday, Aug. 25, after a brief battle with cancer. The singer, songwriter and actress was a Tennessee native and longtime resident whose career spanned decades.

"At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state's favourite daughter," Lee said in a statement.

"Dolly's remarkable legacy reminds us that what makes Nashville special is our ability to welcome people from every walk of life," said Doug Kreulen, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. "She understood that dignity, kindness and opportunity should never be defined by where you come from or your socioeconomic status."

Nashville International Airport is currently known by the code BNA, a designation that traces back to its former name, Berry Field Nashville.

The proposal must still go through the appropriate approval process. The next meeting to address it is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17.

Petition campaign

Calls to rename the airport after Parton date back to a Change.org petition launched in January 2025, after a separate proposal emerged in the Tennessee legislature to name the airport after President Donald Trump. The petition had gathered roughly 50,000 signatures by early 2025. 

Following Parton's death, it saw a surge of new support, crossing 150,000 signatures as tributes to the singer poured in from across the country.

Who was Doly Parton

Dolly Parton was one of the most celebrated figures in American country music, known for hits including "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You", as well as her decades-long career as a singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman. 

Born in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, she built the Dollywood theme park in her home state and founded the Imagination Library, a global literacy programme that has distributed free books to millions of children. 

She was widely regarded for her philanthropy, including major contributions to disaster relief and medical research, and for her cross-generational appeal that made her a cultural icon well beyond the country music world.