Will Nashville Airport Be Renamed for Dolly Parton? What to Know
Tennessee announced intent to rename BNA for Dolly Parton, with an MNAA meeting set for Sept. 17. Here's what's confirmed, what's still a proposal, and why her
Nashville International Airport (BNA) has not been renamed for Dolly Parton. As of the Aug. 28, 2026 announcement from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and BNA, the two parties stated their intent to name the airport in her honor, but the announcement itself frames this as a proposal, not a completed change. The next concrete checkpoint is a Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) meeting scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, where the agency's Naming Policy and Gov. Lee's proposal are set to be addressed, per the same official statement. Until MNAA acts on that policy and proposal, the airport's name remains unchanged.
What the Official Announcement Actually Confirms
According to the tn.gov release, Gov. Lee said he spoke directly with Dolly Parton's team about the proposal, and her team expressed appreciation for the support and openness to continuing the conversation. The announcement also quotes MNAA president and CEO Doug Kreulen discussing that BNA should reflect community values including dignity, kindness, and opportunity. These are the only officially confirmed elements: an announced intent, a scheduled policy discussion, and stated openness from Parton's camp to keep talking. The release does not state a rename has been approved, does not give a new official airport name, and does not commit to a specific outcome from the Sept. 17 meeting.
What's Reported But Not Yet Official
Separate reporting adds context the tn.gov announcement doesn't include. CBC reporting, citing The New York Times, notes that Tennessee's naming policy generally prohibits naming property after a person who hasn't been dead for at least two years — a detail relevant to how unusual this proposal is, though it isn't confirmed in the primary source reviewed here. CBC also reports that Tennessee's tourism commissioner, Mark Ezell, backed the move and called Parton the state's tourism "first lady." The Guardian reports a public petition supporting the rename had surpassed 150,000 signatures, and a Change.org petition states a state senator pledged to introduce legislation toward the change. Petition totals and pledges are not the same as an enacted policy decision, and none of this guarantees the Sept. 17 meeting will result in approval.
Why Dolly Parton's Charity Is Part of This Story
The official announcement ties the honor partly to Parton's philanthropy, specifically the Dollywood Foundation's Imagination Library. Per the tn.gov release, the program has gifted nearly 200 million free books across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland since launching in 1995, and it currently mails more than 2 million age-appropriate books each month to enrolled children from birth to age five. CBS News video coverage features parents describing the program as meaningful for their families, reflecting how the charity is perceived by some recipients, though that is reporting rather than a quantified outcome study.
What to Watch Next
If you want to know whether the rename becomes real, the single date to track is Sept. 17, 2026, when MNAA is set to address its Naming Policy and the proposal itself. Until then, treat the airport's name as unchanged and treat the "intent to rename" language from Gov. Lee and BNA as exactly that: an announced intent, backed by an ongoing conversation with Parton's team, not a finalized decision. Confirmation would need to come from MNAA directly following that meeting.