Nashville International Airport (BNA) has formally begun the process of adding Dolly Parton’s name to the airport, following a unanimous vote by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s six-member board.
The board approved Resolution 2026-10 by a 6–0 vote at a special meeting on September 11. In its statement following the meeting, the authority stressed that it has not selected a final name and described the vote as the first step in a process expected to take several months.
The resolution goes further than a ceremonial endorsement. It directs MNAA President and CEO Douglas Kreulen to begin work on the change immediately, consult Dolly Parton’s estate and other relevant organizations, identify the approvals required, prepare an implementation schedule and estimate the cost.
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The board’s action follows Parton’s death in Nashville on August 25 at age 80, which was announced by her official organization.
Final Airport Name Remains Undecided
The approved resolution supports changing the airport’s name to honor Parton but does not prescribe the wording. It also makes the project subject to consultation with and approval from her estate.
One formulation presented to commissioners was “Dolly Parton Nashville International Airport.” However, the board presentation labeled the name as still to be determined and identified several choices that management must resolve. These include whether Nashville should remain in the title and whether the BNA identifier should be retained.
The presentation also listed federal approval, brand and logo changes, legal agreements, consents, implementation timing and a future naming ceremony among the workstreams ahead.
MNAA’s existing naming policy places sole authority for changing the name of an authority building, space, facility or street with the board. The policy originated in 2010 and was updated in November 2024. Resolution 2026-10 invokes that authority rather than completing the renaming itself.
There is therefore a distinction between the September 11 decision and the eventual introduction of a new official airport name. For the time being, the facility remains Nashville International Airport.
BNA Code Could Outlast the Current Name
Changing an airport’s public name does not necessarily require a new three-letter identifier. FAA guidance treats established three-letter location identifiers as effectively permanent, with changes generally requiring strong, documented justification related primarily to air safety. The agency’s rules state that an original identifier will usually remain in use when a facility’s name changes.
That makes retention of BNA the most operationally straightforward option, although MNAA has not yet made that decision. The authority specifically included the identifier among the questions for the next phase.
The code itself predates the Nashville International Airport name. The facility opened in 1937 as Berry Field, named for Col. Harry S. Berry. An airport master plan history records that the original airfield had a 4,000-foot concrete runway, two hangars and a terminal, with American Airlines and Eastern Airlines as its first scheduled carriers.
The BNA identifier preserves that Berry Field lineage. Retaining it would also avoid changes across airline reservation systems, flight planning, airport signage, charts, baggage processes and other operational platforms that rely on the code.
Airport name changes must still be entered into federal aeronautical records. The FAA requires airport name or ownership changes to be filed electronically through its Airport Data and Information Portal.
Proposal Followed Parton’s Death
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and MNAA first announced the initiative on August 28, three days after Parton’s death. According to the governor’s announcement, Parton’s representatives expressed appreciation for the proposal and agreed to continue discussions.
The original announcement said the matter would be addressed on September 17. MNAA instead convened a special board meeting on September 11, bringing the proposal forward by six days. Two Tennessee residents registered to make public comments in support of the resolution, according to the meeting presentation.
MNAA also reviewed how common commemorative names are among comparable airports. Its presentation counted 56 of 140 small, medium and large U.S. hub airports as being named for an individual. Of those 56, 37 retained the city in the airport’s name.
The authority cited the recent renaming of Memphis International Airport for FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith as an implementation reference. The Memphis airport board acted four days after Smith’s death in June 2025, while its naming ceremony followed in August 2026.
A Name Change at a Rapidly Growing Airport
The work will take place while BNA is handling record traffic and a large capital program. The airport reported 26.7 million passengers in its 2026 fiscal year, up 7.7% from the previous year.
MNAA’s $3 billion New Horizon program is intended to prepare the airport for as many as 40 million annual passengers. Major projects include the demolition and replacement of Concourse A, which is scheduled to reopen in July 2028 with 16 gates, expanded passenger facilities and new airline lounge space.
That scale makes the Parton proposal more than a change to lettering above a terminal entrance. Once the name and schedule are approved, MNAA will have to coordinate the new identity across a growing airport estate, federal records, airline systems, digital products, roadway signs, commercial contracts and marketing material.
Bottom Line
The board has established the direction of travel without locking the airport into a particular title. Retaining both “Nashville” and BNA would preserve geographic clarity and operational continuity while allowing Parton’s name to become the dominant public-facing element. Dropping either would create a much larger branding and systems project for relatively little operational benefit.
The decision also reflects how airport names are increasingly treated as destination brands rather than simple geographic labels. Parton’s profile gives Nashville an unusually strong candidate: her identity is closely tied to Tennessee, music and tourism, while her philanthropy broadens the association beyond entertainment. Few commemorative airport names arrive with comparable international recognition.
The issues to watch are the estate’s approval, the exact sequence of the name, the treatment of the BNA identifier and the implementation budget. Those decisions will determine whether this becomes a measured addition to an established airport brand or a wholesale identity change conducted alongside one of BNA’s busiest periods of expansion.
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