The one thing the entire world can agree on…and we can’t even get that done.
In the days since the shocking passing of legendary country singer Dolly Parton, there’s been a renewed effort to rename the Nashville International Airport to honor the Queen of Country Music.
It’s an effort that actually started back in January of 2025, when a petition was launched by Lydia Popovich & Dan Dion of Nashville to rename BNA:
“As proud citizens of Tennessee, we are motivated by our deep-rooted admiration for the national treasure and Tennessee legend, Dolly Parton. She is not only a celebrated artist who encourages love, acceptance, and goodwill through her music, but also a philanthropist, known for her countless contributions to society. It is only fitting that an institution as significant as Nashville International Airport carries the name of such a remarkable woman.”
The airport code BNA refers to the airport’s original name, Berry Field, which was named after Col. Harry S. Berry, Tennessee’s administrator for the Works Progress Administration who oversaw the airport’s construction in the 1930s.
Last year, Dolly was asked about the effort to rename BNA in her honor, telling Good Morning America that she didn’t believe anybody was serious about it. But following her death on August 25, the petition has so far racked up over 150,000 signatures and has gained support from both state and local officials.
Tennessee state representative Todd Warner, a Republican lawmaker who had previously sponsored legislation to name the airport after President Donald Trump, expressed his intention to introduce a bill to rename the airport after Dolly:
“It will be one of the first bills that I file if someone doesn’t beat me to it in November.”
State senator Mark Pody, a Republican, also expressed his support for the movement, as long as Parton’s family is onboard with the effort:
“If I had to name the top five Tennesseans that ever lived, she’d be one of them. I mean, you look at Davy Crockett or Andrew Jackson or the presidents. I would like to wait until a couple months go by, and make sure that the family is comfortable with it. So we don’t do something that is going to offend the people that we’re trying to honor.”
And Metro Nashville city councilman Russ Bradford has also signaled that he plans to push for the council to pass a resolution in support of the name change:
“I think it’s a no-brainer. Dolly helped put Nashville and Tennessee on the map, and she’s so integral to who we are as a state and a city that I think it’s the least we can do to recognize and honor that contribution.”
One of the rare areas of agreement between Nashville and the state of Tennessee, and lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.
Unfortunately though, that doesn’t mean it’s actually going to happen.
A name change would ultimately have to be approved by the Metro Nashville Airport Authority, the governing board that oversees the Nashville airport. And even that part’s surrounded in controversy right now, because there are two boards who both claim they are the legitimate airport board.
The dueling boards come as a result of a law passed by the Tennessee legislature that went into effect on July 1, 2026 giving state officials control of the board. But Metro Nashville has challenged the law, and believes that the board appointed by the city is the real board that governs the airport.
So yeah, it’s a mess.
The airport is currently operating with the state-selected board as their governing body, despite the legal challenge from the city. And the current bylaws would prohibit the airport from being renamed after Dolly Parton.
According to board member Bobby Joslin, the airport’s naming policies that were put in place back in 2010 (under the city-appointed board) prohibit renaming the airport after anyone until at least two years after their death, and it must also be named after someone who “made a significant impact on aviation in Tennessee.”
Responding to the current effort to change the name, BNA released a statement referencing the bylaws while also honoring Dolly Parton:
“Since her passing, MNAA has received several inquiries regarding the process for naming Nashville International Airport. Originally adopted in 2010 and most recently updated in 2024, MNAA’s Naming Policy establishes the criteria and formal process for naming buildings, spaces, facilities and streets owned by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.”
The airport has been lighting the parking garages pink in honor of Dolly’s passing, and today a plane carrying a banner supporting the petition flew over Nashville to bring awareness to the campaign.
Of course, a name change would obviously take time, given all the bureaucratic red tape that it would have to go through. But to point to the bylaws as a reason the airport can’t be named after Dolly, instead of simply…changing them and making it happen, seems like a terrible reason not to honor one of the greatest Tennesseans who have ever lived. While Dolly may not have been known for her work in aviation, her work touched everyone who walks through BNA – and there’s noone more deserving of the honor of welcoming people to Nashville after the impact that she had on Music City and the world.
Stop making excuses and make it happen.
