Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport officials announced they intend to pursue renaming the city’s main airport in honor of Dolly Parton, according to statements from the governor’s office and the airport. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority will consider the proposal at a meeting scheduled for Sept. 17.
- Gov. Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport announced intent to pursue renaming BNA to honor Dolly Parton; MNAA will consider the proposal Sept. 17.
- A Change.org petition created in January 2025 has more than 150,000 signatures and helped drive public momentum.
- MNAA’s Naming Policy includes a two-year posthumous requirement and other criteria; whether exceptions will be made is unresolved.
What officials have said
Governor Bill Lee said he had spoken with Parton’s team and that they were “touched by the idea,” expressing support for creating “a lasting tribute to her indelible legacy and the generations of people she inspired,” according to published reports paraphrasing Lee’s statement. Lee described Parton as “our state’s favorite daughter” and said it would be fitting for Nashville’s airport, where Tennessee “welcomes the world,” to carry her name. These comments were reported by The Guardian and regional outlets.
Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) President Doug Kreulen issued a statement saying the airport shares Parton’s belief that “dignity, kindness and opportunity should never be defined by where you come from or your socioeconomic status,” and framed the proposed tribute as consistent with the airport’s mission to welcome travelers from every walk of life. News reports say MNAA has received inquiries about the naming process since Parton’s death and that MNAA and the governor’s office jointly announced their intent.
Public support and organized campaigns
A Change.org petition begun in January 2025 by Nashville residents Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion has driven much of the visible public push for the change. Reports cite the petition as having attracted more than 150,000 signatures after renewed attention following Parton’s death, with some articles placing the total at roughly 170,000 as donations of attention continued. Organizers have argued the naming would recognize Parton’s cultural contributions and philanthropic work, including the Imagination Library, which was cited in coverage as a key part of her legacy.
State Representative Todd Warner said he intends to file legislation to rename the airport; Warner posted that he would introduce a bill to call BNA “Dolly Parton International Airport,” according to regional reporting. Mayor Freddie O’Connell was reported as signaling broader local efforts to honor Parton, including cooperation with Parton’s family and team on appropriate public recognition.
Policy and hurdles
MNAA has a formal Naming Policy that sets criteria for naming airport properties. Reporting states the authority’s rules include a requirement that honorees be deceased for at least two years and that there be a demonstrated tie to aviation in Tennessee or a major gift to the airport. Those provisions will be central at the Sept. 17 MNAA board meeting, where the authority is expected to weigh the governor’s proposal against its established policy.
News outlets note that the airport’s policy was adopted in 2010 and updated in 2024. Local reporting emphasized that, while the governor and airport executives have publicly stated their preference, the MNAA board retains final control of any official renaming and must follow its policy and any state or local legislative steps that might be required.
How supporters frame the case
Supporters described the symbolic value of welcoming visitors to Tennessee under Parton’s name: petition organizers and some local officials pointed to the idea that flying into a “Parton” airport would embody her messages of welcome, generosity and cultural influence. News coverage mentioned endorsements from public figures, with at least one entertainer publicly backing the petition, and cited fan-driven displays such as a banner plane and rapid growth in petition signatures after Parton’s death.
Context and precedents
Coverage places the proposal in a broader context of airport renamings and public debates over naming civic infrastructure after living figures or recent deaths. One report referenced a recent renaming of Palm Beach airport after a former president as an example of how airport names can be politically contested. Local reporting also noted alternate candidates and past attempts to rename other Tennessee airports, explaining why Nashville became the practical focus for the Parton effort.
Immediate timeline and next steps
- Governor Lee and MNAA announced their intent to pursue the renaming publicly in late August.
- MNAA will formally consider the proposal and its Naming Policy at a board meeting on Sept. 17, where members may discuss waivers, exceptions or changes to policy if those are proposed.
- State legislation has been signaled by at least one lawmaker as a potential route to effect a renaming; any such bill would follow the state legislative process.
Open questions and outstanding facts
- Whether MNAA will make an exception to its two-year posthumous naming rule or seek to amend the Naming Policy has not been determined; MNAA is scheduled to address the matter on Sept. 17.
- Reports say Parton’s team expressed appreciation and were “touched by the idea,” but there is no independent public statement from Parton’s family or estate published in the sources provided confirming formal approval.
- Any financial arrangements, gift commitments or aviation ties required by MNAA’s policy have not been publicly disclosed in the reporting reviewed here.
What this means for Nashville and travelers
A successful renaming would change signage, marketing and the airport’s public identity; such changes can involve costs and require coordination across state and local agencies and with federal aviation identifiers. Beyond logistics, the debate over renaming is likely to prompt local discussion about how communities memorialize public figures, how naming rules should be applied, and who gets to decide.
Reporting notes
This article is based solely on published reporting from national and regional outlets that covered Governor Bill Lee’s announcement, MNAA statements and public petitions. Direct quotations and paraphrases above reference statements and figures as reported by those outlets; where reporting differed on petition signature totals, this story reports the range cited in coverage and identifies the petition’s creators and the MNAA meeting date as consistent touchpoints across sources.
“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state.” — Gov. Bill Lee, as reported by multiple outlets.
